The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-26 00:00:00

Misallancous 4ntelligentt.

HOME FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

POSTMEN'S CHRISTMAS BOXES.—In the House of
Commons on Monday night, Mr. Fawcett, replying
to a question by Mr. Schreiber, said it was the case
that a circular was issued in 1865, in which it was
estimated that the letter-carriers received on an average
ss. per week in consequence of the amount given to
them in the form of Christmas boxes. He believed
that estimate was formed on very insufficient data.
He believed that in the majority-of cases Christmas
boxes were not given reluctantly—(cheers)—and even
if they were prohibited, he thought that many people
would still continue to give them. (Hear, hear.)
Under these circumstances, he was not prepared to
prohibit them, but he recognised the fact that it was
most undesirable that any letter-carrier should solicit
them with importunity. Just before last Christmas he
had issued a circular expressing that view, and he
believed it had been acted upon, because not a single
complaint had reached the Post Office of Christmas-
boxes having been demanded with importunity,
(Cheers.)
THE DEATH OV COMMANDER THE HON. H. N.
HOOD. Letters received in England contain
particulars of the death of Commander the Hon.
Horatio Nelson Sandys Hood, her Majesty's ship
Pegasus, which took place at Shanghai, on the 3rd
February. The deceased officer was attended in the
hospital by Staff-surgeon Whiteley, her Majesty's ship
Pegasus, Staff-surgeon Coates, her Majesty's ship
Encounter, and Dr. Henderson and Dr. Herndon, of the
United States ship Palos, but before he was removed
to the hospital Staff-surgeon Whiteley gave him every
attention on board the Pegasus. The removal of Captain
Hood to the hospital was a matter of imperative neces-
sity and while there he was assidiously tended by his
own man Phillips and carefully nursed by the sisters.
Nothing was spared to alleviate the condition of the
unfortunate gentleman. The disease, it seems, was
contracted at Chinkiang. He had been shooting
there, and is reported to have slept one night in a
native temple. The disease from which Commander
Hood suffered was that known as the " confluent "
form of small-pox. From his first visit the principal
medical attendant of the patient thought badly of the
case, and this opinion sya confirmed as the worst
symptoms developed themselves, and about the
eleventh day after the disease had manifested itself
Commander Hood's condition became hopeless. The
funeral, which took place on the 4th of February,
was conducted with full naval honours. The de-
ceased was interred in the cemetery at Shanghai, and
the procession included the naval, diplomatic,- con-
sular, and other officials of the .various nationalities in
Shanghai. The ceremony was highly imposing and
mpressive.

SIR FREDERICK ROBERTS' NATIONALITY.—Broad
Arrow says :—" There has been much anxiety on the
part of various nationalities to lay claim to Sir
Frederick Roberts as a fellow-countryman. He has
been boldly claimed as an Irishman. His speech at
Edinburgh has been deemed to mark him a Scotch-
man. His name has favoured the idea of a Welsh ex-
traction. Lastly, for lack of precise intelligence, he
has been proclaimed a veritable John Bull. It may
interest our readers, therefore, to learn that he is
neither an Englishman, Welshman, Irishman, nor
Scotchman, having been horn at Cawnpore. If, how-
ever, he cannot be claimed as an Irishman himself,
we must admit that he was married at Waterford;
and if there is no evidence of his being descended
from an Ap Robert, still it is certain that his father
once resided at Bristol, which may be said to be some-
what over against the Welsh border."

DERIVATION OF THE WORD WHISKY.—An Irish
professor states that whisky is a word of Irish extrac-
tion. The Irish word for water is pronounced iska
and iskabaha, which has been anglicized into usque-
baugh, means water of life, equivalent to the French
eau de vie. The baha has been dropped, and iska has
become whisky.

AVERAGE PRICES ON BRITISH CORN.—The following,
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending March 19, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 435, 7d.; barley, 31s. Bd.;
oats, 21s. 10d. per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 465. ld. ; barley, 345. lid.; oats,
235. 3d.

BLOWING UP A WRECK.—A Reuter's telegram states
that on Monday evening Her Majesty's ship Sprightly
returned to Portsmouth Harbour with a torpedo party,
which had been despatched by the British Admiralty,
at the request of the Board of Trade, to blow up the
wreck of a large vessel which had been sddenly dis-
covered, sunk some miles off the Needles Lighthouse,
Isle of Wight, in such a position as seriously to impede
the maritime traffic up and down the English Channel.
The obstacle was removed by dynamite, and a large
quantity of petroleum rose to the surface, hut the
divers failed to find either the name or the nationality
of the brigantine. Nothing either has been heard of
the crew. Lloyd's Agency are circulating information
amongst foreign shipowners. The vessel's bulwarks
were painted blue, and the inside of the deck-house
green.

THE LABOUR MARKET.—Trade reports from the
different centres show the labour market to be
steadily improving. The cotton trade continues
s.cti-re, and prices remain firm. Enployment for all
classes of operatives is plentiful, and the mills are
running full time. The reports from the iron districts
are satisfactory, and prospects for the future look
bright. The ironworkers and the puddlerB are well
employed, and are expecting an advance of 5 per cent.
at the end of the present quarter. The shipbuilding
trade is very active. In all the dockyards there is
more activity, owing to the determination of the
Government to complete at once all the vessels now
in hand, in order to have stocks ready for the con-
struction of new ones, which they intend to build with
all possible speed. In most of the mining districts
the colliers have settled down to work, and business is
resumed. In the Leeds district the machine and
engine trades keep brisk, while the tool branch shows
a falling off. The metal trades are now fairly busy,
as are also the workers in cutlery. The carpet trade
is good, and the weavers well employed. The lace
and hosiery industries are improving, and the boot
and shoe trade is fairly active. The woollen and
textile departments remain firm, and business is fairly
good. The national emigration movement is progress-
ing ; it is intended to be of a large and general
character. The object is to relieve the home market
of both skilled and unskilled labour by sending the
artizans and labourers to the colonies. The emi-
grants are to have advances made, which are to be
repaid by instalments after arrival in the colony.
FISH CULTURE FOR THE THAMES.—Mr. James
Forbes of Chertsey Bridge, at his own cost in connec-
tion with the Thames Angling Preservation Society, is
engaged in the artificial propagation of fish (says the
Citizen). The present is the season for hatching the
ova, and in the various troughs in his extensive fish.
houses there are, in the most healthy condition, 3,000
real Thames trout, 6,000 Salmo Fontanalis, 3,000
Salmo Ferex, 1,000 Salmo Fario ; and of crosses from
fish of his own rearing there are 3,000 Thames and
Salmo Fario, 3,000 Thames and Salmo Ferex, 2,000
Salmo Fontanalis and Salmo Ferex. A great number
of these have already come into active life, and the
others are making rapid progress towards vivifisati on
A GALLANT RESCUE.—A letter from Gibraltar of
the sth of March states (says the (ourt Journal):—
"'We very nearly had a fatal accident here yesterday
(March 4) returning home from hunting. A young
lady (Miss Hippisley) who had partaken of the sport
expressed, a wish to return home. Mr. North, eldest
son of the Hon. William North, formerly of the Life
Guards, volunteered to escort her. In attempting to
cross a ford (she being in advance) she unfortunately
mistook it and got into deep water. She, however,
managed to swim her horse over, but on the landing
side the bank was perpendicular and her horse fell back
with her. Her habit got hitched in the crutch of the
saddle, and there she was, her head downwards, with
the horse plunging in deep water. Young North,
without a moment's hesitation, jumped off his horse,
plunged in, and swam over to her, some forty yards,
and, at great risk, unhitched the habit, got her on his
back, arid swam bank with her,"

MICROPHONE AND FIREDAMP.—M. de Rossi has
made several experiments with the microphone, which
point to the conclusion that explosions of fire-damp
are preceded by slight microseismic undulations and
subterranean noises too small to be detected by any-
thing but the microphone which records them with
marked sensitiveness. He thinks that observatories
should be established in the neighbourhood of col-
leries and that the microseismograph and microphone
should be employed to detect the collection of in-
flammable gas within the earth, so that by this means,
in combination with the barometric indications, warn-
ing would be received of the approach of danger, and
precautions taken.—Electrician.

THE CRADLE ON THE AUSTRIAN DYNASTY. The
ancient castle of Hapsburg, the cradle of the present
Austrian dynasty, which is situated near Brugg, in
the Swiss canton of Aargau, is greatly coveted by
the Imperial family, and Prince Rudolph has been
trying to persuade the Canton to sell him the family
relic as a present for Princess Stephanie. Being State
property, however, the Canton is unable to part with
it, and the Prince has been referred to the Swiss
Government. The Austrians attempted to Purchase
the Castle at the beginning of the present century,
but were refused permission.
CARLYLE'S INTERVIEW WITH THE QUEEN.-A pleasant
story is being told of Thomas Carlyle's interview with
the Queen. She hail commanded him to visit her,
and he came into her presence not ashamed of sharing
some of that reverence which Dr. Johnson had in the
presence of his Sovereign. But the Majesty of England
was so pleasant, and- kindly, and modest, that the
philosopher forgot her rank before he had been long in
her presence; and he had soon Fulled his chair over to
her side that he might the more easily and affably
converse with her. With no want of respect—with
for him an amazing amount of respect—he questioned
her about her opinions, and he made her stand and
deliver her ideas as though he were an examining
chaplain. 'The Queen is said to have been delighted
with the interview, and to have conceived the highest
respect for the grand old man. " Tam " might have
been a courtier had he pleased. But that was not
" Tam's " bent. He was not intended to leaven
courts; and he went back to the little house at Chelsea
happier than though he had been made a Knight of
the Garter.

INDUSTRIAL AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES.—A report
has been issued by the Chief Registrar of Friendly
Societies respecting the Industrial and Provident
Societies in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
The tables show that in England there were at the end
of 1879, 898 societies, having 497,803 members; that
the sales of goods amounted to £17,618,003; the stock
in trade at the end of the year was £2,458,087; the
balance of profit amounted to £1,673,027; and the
share capital £5,325,119.-I'l Wales there were 49
societies with 5,004 members; sale transactions,
£164,861; stock in trade, £22,932; the profit was
£14,293; and the share capital £39,864. In Scotland
there were 232 societies, having 68,967 members; the
sales amounted to £2,549,565; stock in trade £370,510;
balance of profit £258,152; and share capital £373,728.
—ln Ireland there were six societies, with 537 mem-
bers; sales in 1879 £17,170; profits £1,482; and share
capital, £7,615.

A DOUBLE EXTERIENCE.—" Shall I read you a
pretty story, Effie?" "Has it got a moral to it?"
"Yes, Darling." "Then, Mumsey, I rather not. A
story with a moral is like jam with powder in it !"
Punch.

NOW FOR IT !--Why is a barber like an agricul-
turist ?—Because he lives by the "rotation of crops."
Good! Now, what is the difference between an
agriculturist and a barber ?—One cuts his crops and
the other curls them. Not so bad! Well, and now
can you tell me why a tailor is like an agriculturist ?
Because he sews (sows) and rips (reaps)? Ye-e-s,--
that may pass. Just try another.—What is the
difference between an agriculturist and a tailor ?
Ile one gets customers for his cabbage; the other
" cabbages" from his customers. o—h! Not that I
wish to add insult to injury, but, why is a tailor like
a sweep !—Because he follows a soot-able trade.
Here's one about a barber, and this is the very last—
Why is a barber a great "swell? "—Because he is
associated with " uobs."—Judy.

POSTAL ORDERS. —The issue of the new postal orders
proposed to the Postmaster-General by Mr. Edward
S. Norris in 1874, adopted January 1, 1881, has
already reached the large amount of £25,000 per week,
or an average of £1,300,000 per annum. Mr. Norris
suggests that this issue would be quickly doubled by
decreasing the amount of commission and instituting a
fixed uniform charge of id. on all amounts up to and
including 10s., and id. for all sums above that amount,
also by the issue of small books of mixed sums amount-
ing to £5 or £lO each book, for immediate use at home
for small remittances.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND CURATES. —From a return
Just made to the House of Commons from the Privy
Council Office we gather that in the year 1879 there
was a total number of 11,186 resident incumbents,
1,609 non-resident, 387 curates in sole charge, and
4,888 assistant curates. The stipends paid to curates
in sole charge varied from nothing to £3OO a year • in
four cases the curates received the whole income of
benefice. Thirty-two received £BO a year, 78 £lOO,
43 £123, 26 £l3O, 83 £l5O, and 22 £2OO a year. Of the
assistant curates four were receiving £lO a year and
three £4OO, while two took the whole income. A
nominal stipend only was given to 211, 162 received
£'2oo, 221 £l6O, 1,109 £l5O, 361 £l4O, 471 £l3O, 1,014
£l2O, and 439 100. Some few were paid by offertories
or fees or pew rents.
THE MARCH OF EDUCATION. —Rector's Wife (en-
gaging new servant) : I presume that you are a mem-
ber of the Church of England?—Servant : No, mem ;
please, mem, I'm a Freethinker.—Judy.

RAILWAY SERVANTS' INJURIES.—The official state-
ment of the numbers and classes of the cases relieved
out of the casualty fund of the Railway Benevolent
Institution shows that during the past year 2,177 cases
have been relieved. Out of these, 130 claims have
arisen from the death of railway servants killed by
accidents, 1,837 from injuries received by members in
accidents, and 210 from deaths by sickness and natural
causes. These claims have arisen on nearly every
railway in the kingdom; the most prominent forms of
accident being injuries sustained in truck coupling
and injuries by falls.
THE HARTLEY COLLIERY ACCIEIENT.—The annual
balance-sheet of the Hartley Colliery Relief Fund has
been issued. It appears that during the year ending
with February £1,661 has been distributed, £1,479 as
allowance of relief to widows and others dependent on
the fund, and £23 for medical attendance. The in-
come from investments has been £1,169, and there
still remains an invested amount of £30,358 in addition
to the sum of £125, the balance on current account.
There are still 70 recipients of the fund, 22 of them
being widows of men killed at the Hartley pit.,
A NEW SECT IN RUSSIA.—According to the Russian
papers, a new sect has been formed at Ancyfrov,
in the government of Moscow (says the St. James's
Gazette). It already has some hundreds of members of
both sexes, and its chief characteristic is that all re-
ligious ceremonies, such as christenings, marriages,
funerals, &c., are performed by a woman, who is
young and unmarried and has been elected by the
members of the sect as their pope. They have struck
out of their religious service all the prayers for the
Czar and the Bishops, and have introduced prayers
for the United Greek Metropolitan in Galicia and for
the Emperor of Austria instead, on the ground that
"all religions are tolerated in Austria and enjoy entire
freedom there, while in Russia every one is persecuted
who does not profess the orthodox faith."
How TO CLIIANSE A WATER-PIPE.—A correspondent
of the Forest and Stream gives a novel method em-
ployed to cleanse a two-inch water-pipe which had
become choked with mud. A string was tied into a
hole punched in the tail of a small eel, which was
straightway put into the pipe. An occasional jerk
reminded the eel that it was incumbent on him to
proceed, which he did, arriving at the lower end of
the pipe with a string. A bunch of rags was tied to
the string, and thus the pipe was cleansed.

THE PARIS POLICE FORCE.—A report, just issued,
shows that the Paris Police Force consists of the
chief, the assistant-chief, the chef de bureau, 24 clerks,
five inspectors of divisions, 25 principal inspectors,
700 brigadiers, 700 sub-brigadiers, 6,800 policemen,
,and 13 medical men. Between 1874 and the end of
1879 the arrests amounted to 230,765, of which 195,935
consisted of men. The list of those who fell into the
clutches of the police is a rather curious one, and com-
prises among others, 3,092 young girls, 1,719 flower
sellers, 1,041 engravers, 3,944 printers, 231 journalists
and literary men, 567 teachers, 3,939 waiters, 43 doc-
tors, 16 lawyers, 127 chemists, 42 midwives, four
veterinary surgeons, 177 street cleaners, 616 owners
of house property, and 26 bailiffs.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO EMIGRATION. —Th e Agent.
General of New South Wales has recevied a tele-
gram from his Government announcing that the
Parliament of that colony has voted £40,000 for
the purposes of emigration. The emigrants are to
consist of, young married couples, with or without
children, and single women. One moiety of the
passage money is to he paid by the emigrants, who
are to be selected in proportion to the respective
populations of the three kingdoms. The vote is to
take effect on the Ist of June next.
ALL IN THE DAY'S WoßK.—John Thomas. "Did
you. ring, Sir? "—Surgeon (just arrived at country
house). "Yes. Why have you laid out my Surgical
Instruments on the dressing-table ? "—John Thomas.
"Surgical instruments, Sir? I thought them things
was what you dressed for dinner with ! "—Punch.
A NOVEL AFFLICTION.—The story of a family that
suffer under a novel affliction is related by the
Philadelphia Times. The original victim is a well-to-do
farmer, about whom there had never been anything
strange until one day, when seated at dinner, eating
placidly, the disease developed itself. Suddenly,
without any cause, he burst into a loud fit of laughter,
so totally different from his accustomed laugh that all
were attracted by it at once. When asked what was
the reason for his sudden outburst he made no
reply, but continued his merriment. After a
few moments he made motions for pencil and
paper, and asked for a doctor. The rural physician
came, but could give no remedy that stopped the
laughter. Peal after peal of what sounded like the
heartiest kind of mirth came from him, and nothing
would avail to prevent it. The doctor finally con-
cluded that he was the victim of a nervous attack.
However, the patient continued laughing until about
sundown, when he suddenly stopped, and fell on the
floor completely prostrated. After this he grew
better, supped, and went to bed; but about two
o'clock in the morning the fit returned, and
has visited him regularly, for some months past,
soon after noon, and about two a.m. This is
not the oddest part of the matter, for by degrees
all the family have come under the conta-
gious influence of the parent's "mirth,." and
wild choruses of laughter are constantly ringing
through the neighbourhood of the farm. "Every-
thing possible has been done to alleviate or remove the
malady, but without perceptible effect. Several
eminent physicians from the leading cities have
visited the home, and grown interested in the case.
They all confess themselves baffled, and want one or
two of the family to go to the city, where they can
receive constant treatment. This they refuse to do.
Their peculiar trouble has made them very sensitive, and
they will not travel where they will be subjected to
remark. They go to church or the store in the village
close by, and attend social gatherings occasionally
in the neighbourhood in the evenings, but only ameng
life-long friends.—Evening Standard.

THE HUNGARIAN CENSUS.—The official figures, re-
presenting the results of the recent Census, have been
published, and show that the population of Hungary,
with Croatia, is now 15,610,729, of whom 7,695,732 are
males and 7,914,997 females. Ten years ago the in-
habitants numbered 15,417,327, so that the increase in
the decennial period is 193,402. In Hungary proper,
that is without Croatia, the increase is only 138,760,
or less than 1 per cent, on the ten years.
MYSTERIOUS LAKE SOUNDS.—A correspondent of
Notes and Queries, on the subject of mysterious lake
sounds, writes thus :—The lake of Hallwyl, in the
canton of Aargau, Switzerland, is very shallow, and
generally freezes over in winter. The ice, however,
constantly bursts, and the escape of the imprisoned
air (so at least it is supposed) causes a roar which is
distinctly audible at the distance of several miles.
This noise, which I can only compare to the roaring
of the sea on an iron-bound coast, is sufficiently
intense to awe the stranger who hears it in the still-
ness of a calm winter's night.
EXPLOSION AT POWDER WORKS.—Fatal explosions
occurred at the Blackbeck powder works, in High
Furness, about ten o'clock on Saturday morning, in
last week. An explosion first took place in the press-
house, which forms part of the works, and which con-
tained about 1,6001b5. of powder. In this place three
men were killed--viz., James Robertson, foreman,
George Towers, and William Taylor. It is supposed
that they were filling the press box with powder at the
time, but it is not thought that the pawder was under
pressure at the moment, as the press box was not
destroyed. The cause of the explosion is a mystery,
the more so because the deceased were all careful men.
Immediately afterwards a second explosion took place
in the corning-room, where the powder is granulated.
it is thought that the gale which was raging at the
time had carried the sheet of flame from one house to
the other—a distance of 130 yards—or else that a train
had been partially formed by the upsetting of a cart
of powder through the horse taking fright. The
works, which were built of wood and stone, are cora-
pletely wrecked, but the machinery is not damaged.
Four men were injured, but they are progressing
favourably.
AMERICAN APPLES IN GERMANY.—The American
Exporter gives an interesting account of an experi-
mental shipment of fresh apples from America to Ger-
many, which arrived safely. They consisted of 112
barrels of Spitzbergens, Baldwins, and Greenings, in
about equal quantities, and another lot of about 100
barrels of the last-named variety are now in transit.
In less than twenty-four hours after the delivery ot
the apples at Coburg every barrel was sold at a profit-
able price, and the demand was far more than the
supply. This venture was undertaken in consequence
of the short crop of this fruit in Germany. The trans-
port took just three weeks from New York via Bremen
to the centre of Germany. Of the three sorts for-
warded Baldwins arrived in almost perfect condition,
the Greenings turned out satisfactorily, but one-third
of the Spitzbergens were spoiled. The people of
Coburg were far from sanguine as to the result of the
experiment, and declared that all American fruits
would lose their taste and aroma in the transit. Great
was their surprise and gratification when they tasted
the delicious fruit; all the more.so because the Ger-
man markets this season are destitute of everything
like fruit which is not sour and shrivelled.
A USE FOR WASTE LAND.—A farmer at Wisconsin
had a piece of waste land upon which nothing would
thrive or even grow, so at last he tried black walnut
trees, and was successful. It is now twenty-three
years since he planted them ; they are from sixteen
to twenty inches through, and sold the other day for
27,000 dols.

JELLY FISH. -At Trinity College, Manchester.
square London, Mr. G. J. Romanes, M.A., F.R.S.,
delivered an interesting lecture on "Jelly Fish." He
explained that he had chosen jelly fish as his subject,
partly because they recommended themselves as a very
interesting class of animals from a scientific point of
view, and partly also because of late years they had
furnished material for a great deal of new research.
They were very widely distributed in space. In all
seas these animals were to be met with, except in the
very cold seas of the Polar regions. They were almost
wholly surface floating fish. Until last July
they were thought to be entirely marine, but a fresh
water species was then discovered in warm water at
the Botanical Gardens; and, by experiment, he found
that the marine species was as intolerant of fresh
water as the flesh water species was of sea water.
Jelly fish differed very much in size, some species
being as small as smallest pea, whilst others were as
large as a full-sized umbrella. The large species pos-
sessed streamers measuring 100 ft. in length. Jelly
fish were very various in form, but however divergent
were their forms they all presented the same funda-
mental principles of anatomical structure. A remark-
able feature of jelly fish was that however minutely
one was cut up, each piece would de Telop °into a
whole animal. He showed that the jelly fish possessed
nervous system, and was subject to various nerve
poisons, alcohol making them decidedly drunk.

MR. SPURGEON'S HEALTH.—The latest accounts of
the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon state that he is very much
improved in health, and that the effects of his last
rheumatic attack are fast disappearing. The ser-
vice on Sunday morning at the Metropolitan Taber-
nacle was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Lovell, of
Leytonstone, who read the following letter from Mr.
Spurgeon to his flock :—" Dear Friends—The past
week has been made up of disappointments. Again
and again I have almost reached the desired haven,
and each time I have been driven out upon the sea of
pain by another blast from the tempest of disease. I
have not hitherto been able to go downstairs ; but
this, I hope, is a pleasure in store for me to-
day. I am much better, and hope to be with
you next Sunday, and perhaps on Thursday.
The bitter disappointment of being unable to
preach this morning is increased by the fact that I
hoped to plead with you for our own London Baptist
Association collection. We build, or help to build a
chapel each year—a poor contribution to the religious
demands of this enormously increasing city. But
this at least should be done with happy, eager
spirit. God has blessed the Baptists in London, and
if they do not grow it will be their own fault.
Everything which tends to multiply plaoes for the
preaching of the Gospel is a joy to us all. See,
then, to this matter. I am deeply grateful for your
prayers. You hardly know how much I need them,
for my pains have at times been overpowering, and
I have needed Divine succour to come through them.
A little longer, and it will be all over."

_
A CANADIAN BARONY.—The recent recognition by
her Majesty of a Canadian barony is an exceptional
circumstance, and the gentleman (Baron de Longeuil)
whose title has been acknowledged, holds the remark-
able position of being the only subject of the Queen
who is a colonial peer, and who at the same time hzs
not any precedence. The feudal barony is entirely
exceptional, and is the only Canadian hereditary title
existing. The patent of nobility signed by King Louis
XIV. granting this title to Charles de Moyne for dis-
tinguished services is remarkable as creating not only
a territorial barony, but also conferring a title of
honour upon himself and his descendants, whether
male or female. The cession of Canada to England
by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 made no change in the
legal right to hold honours. Since this period each
successive head of the family has, by assumption of
right, used the title; but it was not officially recognised
by the British Government until December 4, 1880—
Dthretes Peerage for 1881.
THE VOLUNTEER REVIEW.—The important feature
of the march down to Brighton of a body of Volunteer
troops on Good Friday and the following Saturday,
estimated at from 7,000 to 8,000, promises to be in-
vested with unusual interest next month. It has been
decided that nearly all the metropolitan regiments will
have detachments on the road, among those contribut-
ing the largest numbers being the Artists' Rifles.