The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-02-27 00:00:00

THE MILITIA.
Lord LiMeriek thowirree the state moved an Address for certain Returns
%Meta to. eof the Militia in 1873 and 1874, which was
tiftist,enir tole: adoption of some Resolutions relative to Private
Select r" ed by Lord Redesdale, and the appointment of the
nommittee on the office of the Clerk of the tn Parli,,a-
ieuts, and the office of Gentleman
adjourned Usher of the Black Ron,
slielr LerdshlPs :
In se DISTRICT POST-OFFICES.
ItOnsis OP COMIONS Mr. W. James asked if there
"as a regal tiG
n prohibiting beershops and public-houses
ould
"Mg Used as district post-offices, and if Government
W extend the regula
tion to grocers who sold spirits.
reLefererdeLehn Manners said there evas a regulation of the kind
that. ee eo, but he could not see the expediency of extending
• regnlation to grocers.
, FIRE-DRILL ON EMIGRANT SHIPS.
Wheth
s"1-r• Ilayter asked the President of the Board of Trade
er, in view of the great loss of life attendant upon the
httrnin
, „ ,g ot
othe Cospatrick, he would undertake to insist upon
eseTerttps
mf
efirn e-drill, similar to that practised in board
ipasrhdhser
V ;
that the crew .war,
being
adopted on all emigrant
Proper „„ e practised in lowering the boats, and that a
at times Yof provisions, with oars and rudders, be kept
cotall us each
ere of the boats.
C, Adderley said there was no law enabling the Board
leseracie to enforce such a system as that mentioned,
.and,
`e ta w
- ere, he did not see how it could be carried out.
THE DIMMISaALS AT THE POST OFFICE.
t.e„lainGotlodstbil Pfd asked the Postmaster-General if he would
ense on what grounds he inflicted the severe
12.1.12iis_hizents of dismissal and stoppage of pro motion on the
;Seaters of the Post Office for memorialising for aa increase_
:',..,• PaY, and on the clerks in the Savings Bank for alleged
wranninication with the public Press.
is.4)_ rd aohn Manners replied that in answering the question
tebe woUld be necessary to separate the ease of the sorters _
rthat of the clerks. Of the sorters five were dis-
oed, and !several young men who had been recently
,raoted were reduced to their former position on
ItheeylinehLersdtanding that if they behaved themselves well
hot 3'l be restore& The five men were dismissed,
awe er agitating for an increase of pay, but because they
vetted themselves with professional agitators out of the
'within Iv'
holn were engaged in promoting an agitation
were e
boo st• the case of the clerks in the savings banes,
t
woe dismissed, but promotion was stopped because is
izaot4vest aensent appeared in the Press imputing enrPp.
iale t
Y have
cottld onl the head of the department on information winen,.
prS
ler _ n
derived from official sources. A naa'
tenence had b of
com e
nsitt d early last year durings the
eoursee_PisaYfair was Postreaster-General, and the same
beson-ee""' taken. A committee of gentlemen selected, not
but hrng te the department, was considering the question
d not yet presented its report. ,
kr 818 JORN FRANKLIN'S NEPHEW.
It wa;;Q:Vait asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether
re_ Me that Lady Franklin
p had requested that the last
~..reseatative
nught be a . and nephew of the late Sir John Franklin nection vse
h.,. • Ith the
PPointed to one of the sub-lieutenancies
in con-
es( oeen r f
e oaed.Arctic expedition, and whether such request
ofMrfo_rtil.pit said
hot Sub-lieutenant Franklin was one pu. t
sYnaPat3leiou,e applicante for two vacancies. He greatly
to sebse's Beu the With Lady Franklin but they were bound
allowed he "" fittest candidates,' and sentiment could
to prevail over other considerations.
ItEGIMENTAL EXCHANGES BILL.
lar. Rarde in
Mental Beet.' Inoying the Second Reading of the Regi-
able
i ion
opeoeTanges Bill, expressed his surprise at the formid-
tatnioolon an entirweldlyediEfh fterheandtPurchase, and the
excited,
footing
from seeing
which
417 ,wiaet not even make an approach towards Purchase,
_e,S:
haeoVedYesaid he should have deemed dishonest. I would
oat h hn 'this power, he said, to proceed by Royal Warrant,oune
ead preferred to bring in a Bill, because he
.thweenlil
be 1_1:eel:I
istiV4 nt ought to be consulted, and also because it
which
necessary to fix a Regulation Price, _ _
4 E_,EttlY deprecated. Ile pointed out that it was
ebamental
power to
excemee _ .excnatige Bill, and gave
benefiteer irom half-pay te full pay ;
w • d by the
Whole sirteer officers, and it was greatly desire
ahowed, —Y. Ender the present system,
It no
oas P for the
Hardy
"Mrregulated by
the war Exchanges were not abolished, but
lc
_.
rities to °ince, and it was desired by the military
_aanthe°3
solely 1) get rid of this responsibility—to settle Exen g
Dart of Ih:lt
irlitary considerations, and Ignore the monetary
allabuses
could be preavnesactions. By proper regulations
out, had
never been nted. The question, he pointed
but it , . _ considered at the time Purchase was abolished,
he Com-
raisaionntfbeen forced upon him by the Report of t
nan..,
aPpointed by Lord Cardwell, who were u i
mr. Trreeconsmeneing this change.
which he
Maintain YdelYala nsoved the rejection of the Bill,
wfeatures of
the
old e would renters the most objectionable
m. "eel Ile d' t d the authority of the.Co
mission to dI • repu la e e .
that if it was
neeessa ,_ ea with this question, and said
permitted
the raj( that a system of Exchanges should bee
o_,_.
atis T„S:_arY atithoritiea were bound to take charge of
mt !at-
ehee.vo't j' eckYan dilated with much earnestness on tha
_vain.
tege
o....ronseqnences of giving the rich officers an d
comes "• the Poor, of
t deal
Permitting public servants o f
, erclany Wi
purchase or
sseetriaeiVes th •th public functions, and to
Mr, eta , e rlght not to be called on to serve abroad.
Lord
xrter seconded the motion.
alty to thell°' In "PPorting the measure, traced its
.neceos-
purobaae e overbearing Manner inswhich the Abolition f
h the
reasonahi was carried, and to the contempt with which
e.
the ete 'e representations of the officers were received. it
constr" °f
ee the Commissioners whom Lord Cardwell was_e
Woilidalin'. t° aPPoint had been presented in his time,ohs..
ts„e , aye been obliged to bring in this Bill. The OPP
for
r`e;isoeurctlhElche thought, had selected a weaker occasion 1
e etted
that Lord tin the Irish vete the other night, aryl 1.e,..e-ogesn,
Secretary forlington, who had been, ilnd might 0
measure which
Was for th Tar had set 10 face against a m
Ise. e Contentment of toe officers.
w
„,tAirgerson maintained that the Bill would ereateone e
restorati erests. It was, in fact, the first. step t th
hst °ll et Purchase d s drawn entirely i
erest of th ~ • an was n the
air g. siv. e fancy officers."
In rich
kelt beim olft on the contrary, saw great advantage
w. _
heliev d g haduced to spend some time in the Army.
anad
wo e the Bill would • satisfaction to the Army a
Uld increase it give
General s efficiency.
lob_Shute gave a warm support to the Bill, which his
reefo.:s3erience as a regimental officer satisfied. y
l him would
o_
os ° a great and seriatis grevievance. The minter policy
fissrJ•
gmmstne,:te Government had given rise to a suppressed
great iii t discontent from the General to the drummer-boy,
teotit;'. a share in the result of the last General
Captain
allowed
to folio W. E. Price was in favour of Exchanges if
to,„es w their natural flow, but objected to the additional
zimation to exchange which the Bill set up.
.11e dis
coese,_
ectission Was continued by Captain Hope-
Johnstone,
supported the
tarNsk;alile ne Horne, and Colonel Gilpin, who .
_.
ler u'n Sir G. Baltoilr and Mr. O'Reilly spoke against its
es, • Stehle
of Ex-
nges di y reminded the House that a. system
t eaten-
d already exist, and this was a Bill, not o
the
eesesete_ro the fleet time, as most of the speeches o
that the
Vttrlg ri side seemed to assume, but to secure.
at
ens
Isolely Inc" thould nave regard to military considerations
showed,
by elmaizeinahng with these Exchanges. Mr. Stasnaty
the War
Oka, that if the Practical working of
affairs
to pre-
Would be easy by proper regulationshe
had been a
elippoesaaes . and, reminding the House that
d that if
he eho"t`ier ?t the Abolition of Purchase, he declare
it he w gits this Bill would open the way to a restoration of
Aft
sould rather resign his office than support it.
Bill was
to gsrel'ewe Maintained that the entire effect of the
to
rise
li
_Unlimited licence to the parties to an Exchange
I._ net receive
the
any amount of money. It would restorean , ,t
v5t14,61
cltand brokerage of the old Purchase System, a i
ketion faiPossible, for the pro-
purchase of Exchanges and
he Without Purchase would go on stilL Consequently.
414 aPticipated the Bill would be the means of
to }Prig thaththe old system. Everything would revert
whiette,eold condition of things except the seven millionsd' sires
oe til'oeoaA
_tt been spent be abolishing Purchase. As t.oht
and
Wrote eilrraY, when it came to a question of right have
its own • Lowe was not prepared to allow the ArmY t 2, ,
_et
tor ea/votY• Extra pay and other advantages were sufficient
a, 'kale all the Exchang"
which
the
good
of
he
drew a
hanioro ce to viduals required. Mr. Lowe
a repti„44,Picture of the eagerness to exchange which afflictsss, .
WhieVtil, When it is ordered to India—a spectacle, he said,
the ;Les:vas ernineiatly calculated to degrade and demoralize
be dijar ; but the naain argument against the Bill, on. which_e
Which 'ld with much ener sy, was the mischievous princiael
kr. established that a6public office could be sold.
itosiseW• Etunt, aa one of the Commissioners, assured the
basee that the conclusions of the Commission had. been
s
keel; solely on the evidence laid before them, and it vie%
Coesi't °_ll,that evidence that the case for this Bill rested, aSina,
the,ofesioners at a very early stage were persuaded tl_xt.
Clltiege'ers had made out a grievance in the matter efF, y
asiesteeiand he showed from the evidence that guarded D
tiervio, e regulations, the Bill would be beneficial o the
kr. 'sand to individuals.
tiros,
ecarupbell-Banneees
-sean insisted that the Bill was
reinn:
elpie'folicalled for, and would introduce a mischievous p
Ithle,ei, ° the pnblie servi_ce. There were as many Exchanges.ue.
keet, ill:chase was abolished as before, and no new induce-
's °
h chief
object, ere needed to facilitate the practice.
the s, ,ort on whi„,
connection of
Fes'ew syst ',elle dwelt was the intimate ,
-eh °III 01 Exchanges for money with the a)
ktase,
stem of
eart atilardYbriefi and repeated that with proper
Which the war Y
Rt,. hag be Offi replied,
ce none of those
terrible consequences
b -,, hay n Predicted could possibly occur.wilelock then moved the adjournment of the De-
The
teelll4ll ban Mr. Disraeli declared he coula not assent.
_f
any
i
tattirt' dise„seen adequately debated already, and Istage'.'4l connon Were required i • id be taken at a
this oeatlsrtinis os
Th at
lesaanse dvls:idmehis friends to accept
that
t at prese.nvten no
tilillenit'aeen shown for the Bill, and no answer gi t
nletion lire ge'l against it.
withdrawn the
11 rose divide, eor adjournment having been
ied by
-lent 'on th 9
eo yof 57 e . econd Reading, w
se‘itirlees ethe -182 to 185.
ti at esr,inesitiess was disposed of, and the House ad-
es Past 12 o'clock.
OF THE EPISCOPATE BILL.
tfe a tntQt%ll riP Lonmoved
Lord Lyttelton
___.
so rglieetila (114
ot
the Jes, Feb. 23,
f the Episcopate Bill_
otP; allci tkew t'es the lncrease o
h country was increas
aftgeht to be 4 a,,,raleDBol,:vuelrEteticoonnogaeny
being built, there
the reellsPesing :tDottionate increase of the EpiscoPattaeken to
createe ' Went oe ssl'erae obiections which had been
h might be
V 1 ' Uncle -e litt - ishorice, which
endowed
by
o inetoee . r hie Y that new B
of th ..vb am. A loeasure, would be
tisprinciple
et thee ",ill had e4eselution in favour of
Upper House
!tell but s'-'°lrrocatioe-4
n agreed to by the
well
as
by
e„Lnat li leWi° of th - e be,t Canterbury, as ei
glad to say
-.(t hh,r• ---.Sraeli ban ; .ahops, and lie
''assupport of himself
enable , eolleaeoes Protnised that the
.The Bill would
e est, „those , wonlel be given to it. . .
t needed a
th 'Diabopri ..0 believed that their own district
provided
at the x eto ieshae
..
endowment, and
a ache), „ Colestaati rthe for its
should then prepare
11_14 tai-c.e- tor the oreac't, Commlssione.re
but the seheme would
Z_ther itoetifieet withoturtoli the See
assent 'of ner Majesty, nor 4
nqatiratitt eof Parliamenteshamid object. The number tof
-"V
144 la Parliament wouldm not be increased, as h
o
4111 orit lalrouig take ln the gotta* of LorClß bY
Mee

THE DOG AND GUN TAXES.
3col

)n. Friday afternoon, in last week, a deputation m
-Jtch members of Parliament had an interview with
the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the question of
the dog and gun taxes. The deputation was intro-
duced by Dr. Barclay, and consisted of Mr. Orr-
Ewing, Mr. Charles Dalrymple, ML Dundas, Sir W.
Edmondstone, Dr. Cameron, Sir W. Anstruther, Sir
G. Montgomery, Mr. M`Lagan, Sir Cr. Balfour, and
Sir W. Cunyngham.
Mr. Barclay, Mr. Orr-Ewing, Sir G. Bali our, Mr.
M`Lagan, and Mr. C. Dalrymple, having urged the
views of the deputation,
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, in reply,that
he knew the Scotch members took a deep interest in
the subject under discussion. Since being in office,
he had received numberless letters on the question,
and a large portion of them had come from Scotch
members. (A. laugh.) He confessed that the more he
heard of the matter the more difficult he felt it to be
to say what ought to be done, and he was afraid the
remarks of the deputation would not altogether re-
move the difficulty, especially with regard to the dog
tax. He had received from variousparts of the country
communications urging him to increase the tax in
order to stop the enormous mischief that was'done by
stray dogs. On the other hand, he got complaints
from the representatives of the farmers as to the
hardship of taxing shepherds' dogs. There would
be no difficulty in laying down the principle that
sheep dogs should not be taxed, but there would be
enormous difficulty in carrying the principle out.
Perhaps the best way would be to give certain persons
a license for two or three dogs free of charge, but even
upon that various difficulties would arise. In the first
place, how were they to lay down any scale as to the
number of dogs a person should keep; and in the next
place, it would be difficult to decide who should have
the benefit of the exemption. If they were to lay
down the principle that no " instrument " required for
trade in the way that a dog was required by a farmer,
should be taxed, they might have to go beyond farmer&
For instance, were drovers to be allowed to have dogs
or not? Of course, it was right for those who represented
agricultural constituencies to put the case from their
own point of view, but he had to look at it from all sides.
Other cases than that of the drover might be put ;
and what, for instance, would they say to the case of a
ratcatcher ? A ratcatcher carried on a useful trade,
and required dogs for the purpose: Was he to be
entitled to exemption? Then, again, what would be
done with watch-dogs? All sorts of claims might be
put forward if the principle were admitted, and there
would be difficulty in drawing a satisfactory line.
However, he could not deny that if they were to
raise the tax generally, in order to prevent the increase
of mischievous and useless dogs, it would be necessary
to seriously consider how those who used dogs for
the conduct of their business should be dealt with,
and he could see no way for dealing with them ex-
cept by giving them licenses for nothing. It had been
suggested that if the license were increased the
number of stray dogs would be diminished; but he
imagined that stray dogs were those for whom no tax
was paid already ; so that if the suggestion were acted
upon, stray dogs would really increase in number. Of
course, he did not raise the question whether aid
should be given to local taxation by handing over
imperial taxes, but it was a question whether the
tax could be collected better, and stray dogs be more
effectually suppressed, if the matter were placed in
the hands of the local authorities. He would not
lose sight of that subject. He was not quite
sure that he was prepared to fully admit the prin-
ciple that no instrument required for trade should
be taxed. If he were so prepared, a great many
taxes other than that on dogs, would have to be got
rid of. Houses and shops were required for the.car-
rying on of the business, and if the principle were en-
forced, they would have to take off shop-tax, as well
as the horse-tax in a great many cases. The carriage-
tax would also be affected, bec.Fise many persons re-
quired carriages for the exercise of their business.
They must not, therefore,, be top ready to lay down
the principle and insist on its being acted upon. With
regard to the gun-tax, he would consider whether
something could not be done to meet the case of the
farmer protecting his crops. The crops could be pro-
tected now at a small outlay, but he admitted that
there was a difficulty in the present system, and he
would be glad to consider it. however, that connected
itself with a great many other questions, and he would
rather not say anything more about it at the present
moment.
The deputation thanked the right hon, gentleman
and withdrew.

says The—
Morning Advertiser, in remarking on the above,
:
Sir Stafford Northcote was treated to a thoroughly
" canny " interview on Friday. The principal Scotch
members waited on the• Chancellor for the purpose" of
securing the abolition of the tax now imposed upon
shepherds' dogs in Scotland, and for an entire remission"
(which sounds very like "abolition") "of the gun tax."
The argument with regard to the dogs was that they
are used for minding the sheep; that for the guns was
that they are used for destroying crows and other
predacious birds. Now there can be no doubt
that when the hardy Scotsmah sees his faithful
" collie " bounding over the backs of his sheep, every
yelp reminds him of the " siller " that must sooner or
later be paid for his, the dog's, services. Every
" bang " of his the Scot's, rusty fowling-piece, calls to
his mind the " bang " of that " saxpence" immortalised
in Punch. Now, to take the case of the dog first, it is
vet y hard that so useful and friendly a servant should be
made the medium of inflicting a painful penance upon
economical poverty. Such a tax, too, must inevitably
lead to the (decrease of that invaluable breed of dogs.
So that it is impossible not to sympathise greatly with
the destlktiozz on that score, In the matte% of this gun,

---- -
The Inspector General of Recruiting has issued his
report for the past year, from which it appears that the
number of men who joined the army was 20,640, as against
17,194 ia the previous year. The difference, 3,446, showed
that the recruiting system which came into operation in
April, 1873, had so far worked satisfactorily.
At Portsmouth, on Monday, an elderly man named
Fletcher, who had been for many years employed in the
Gun Wharf, was at work on board the Hercules, and when
on his way into the hold missed his footing, falling severat
feet. When taken to the surgery it was found that his neck
was diQlocated, and that he was quite dead.
On Saturday a large consignment of American
grouse or prairie fowl was received in London for sale. The
birds were in fresh condition, and realised Os. to Os. per
brace. A large importation of ptarmigan or white grouse
from Norway was also sold at 3s. 6d. to 4s. per brace.
English hares are scarce in the market, and fetched from Os.
to 6s. each.
Letters received from Queensland state that the
yield of sugar has proved 40 per cent, more than estimated;
the expected quantity was 10,000 tons, but the actual result
14,000 tons.—The discovery of coal on the Logan river, the
centre of the southern sugar plantations, containing 62 per
cent. of volatile matter, 2 per cent. of water, 12 per cent. of
ashes, and 24 per cent. of fixed carbon, will allay the anxiety
for fuel among the sugar manufacturers in this locality. The
Logan river is within easy reach of Moreton Bay, and, as the
newly-found coal stands rough handling, this discovery will
probably soon be another item added to the varied list of
exports in this colony.
Sir Jung Bahadoor, Chief of Nepaul, was expected
to arrive in this country by the Bombay mail on Monday. In
consequence, however, of an accident which befel his ex-
cellency on the evening previous to the departure of the
mail he now lies in a precarious state. After his return
from a temple he was thrown by his horse, and he remained
in an unconscious state for several hours. The symptoms
are those of concussion of the brain.
- - -

--- ---
The death is announced from Paris of Corot, the
painter: He died on Monday night, at the age of 80. He
was (says the Paris correspondent of The Times) one of the
first French historical painters of the day, and his death is
sincerely regretted, not only by all lovers of the art, but by
a large circle of friends; for he was a man of the most warm-
hearted and kindly disposition. Scarcely three weeks ago,
thinking that the widow of Millet, the painter, had not re-
ceived a sufficient pension from the State, Corot generously
settled 1,000 f. a year on her for life.
Mr. J. M. Ludlow? who was secretary to the
Friendly Societies Commission, spoke on Monday night at
the meeting of the Social Science Association on the subject
of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's bill, which he regarded
as compelling societies to do what was right, and he argued
that it should be supported, as it gave to societies the power
of properly governing themselves. Lord Rosebery, who
presided, remarked that the bill was a fair sample of the
social measures for which the Conservatives were entitled to
general gratitude.
Mr. Moon, the chairman of the London and North
Westernßailway Company, in presiding at the half-yearly
meeting on Saturday, called attention to the pressure of the
railway passenger duty. He urged shareholders to endea-
vour to influence Parliament as much as possible. in order
that influence, in its turn, might be brought to bear upon
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The half-yearly ordinary meeting of the Great
, Northern Railway was held on Saturday at King's-cross
Station. The chairman, Colonel Duncombe, in the course of
his speech alluded to the policy of the Midland Company in
terms of disapproval, and stated that the Great Northern
would not follow the example of abolishing second-class

carriages.
In a discussion in London on Saturday night at a
meeting of the Association of Medical Officers of Health of
the Metropolitan district), of the provisions of the Artisans'
Dwellings Bill, the bill was admitted to be an important step
in the direction of sanitary reform. It was held, however,
that to 'be effective it should be compulsory on local
authorities to carry out the recommendations of health
officers. To require the provision of house accommodation
for occupiers before demolition of condemned buildings,
as proposed, would, it was thought, tend to render the
measure inoperative.
Mr. Raffles, the Liverpool stipendiary magistrate,
in speaking at a meeting of the Juvenile Reformatory Asso-
ciation, said in the course of his remarks, that be was afraid
they would require such institutions for many years, for he
could see no falling off in the number of juveniles brought
before him. Liverpool had acquired, unfortunately, a painful
notoriety for crimes of brutal violence, and he attributed this
increase of crime to increased wages and increased popula-
tion.
In London, on Monday evening, Mr. Macomber,
the inventor of a gun with which a range of nine miles
has been achieved, described before the Royal United Ser-
vice Institution the principle of its construction. An in-
teresting discussion took place amongst the large number of
officers who were present.
A meeting of Metropolitan Volunteer commanding
officers was held in London on Saturday, at which it was
resolved that, in conbequence of the impracticability of ob-
taining railway accommodation, the usual Easter Monday
field-day be reluctantly abandoned,— [From a discussion
which took place at a meeting of the Portsmouth Town
Council on Monday, it appeared that the resolution of the
South Western and Brighton Railway Companies not to
undertake the conveyance of Volunteers on Easter Monday
was founded not so much upon a consideration of remunera-
tion as upon the want of physical means to perform the task. '
The Bank Holiday Act has enormously increased the holiday,
traffic on that day, and it has become difficult, if not impos-
sible, for one railway company to lend relling stock to
another.]
An action has been brought against the Great
Northern Railway Company to recover compensation for in-
juries sustained by a builder named Mason in a collision
near Moorgate-street, Loudon. The company paid £l5O into
court, but the jury gave the plaintiff a verdict for £2,500 in
addition. He had no been able to do any work since the
accident, and the most favourable view taken by the doctors
was that a few years would elapse before he become com-
paratively competent to resume his calling.
Under the presidency of the Duke of Cambridge,
and to a numerous and distinguished audience, a lecture
was delivered in London last Friday, in the United Service
Institution, by Major C B. Brackenbury, 11 A., on the
duties of the new "Intelligence Branch" of the Staff. The
gallant officer described the functions of this recently
created department to be the collecting, sifting, and ar-
rangement of all information required by Government and
the military authorities to enable them to take such mea-
spres in peace as will ensure the rapid commencement and
vigorous prosecution of any war whether at home or
abroad. How its work was to be d4ono was explained by n
description of the functions of the Great General Staff of
the Prussian Army, on which our own and the analogous
establishments in Austria and France are being modelled.
Much interest was felt in the lecture, and at its conclusion
a high compliment was paid to the gallant officer by his
Royal Highness in conveying the thanks of the audience to
the lecturer.
In the Probate Court, on Tuesday, Mr. H. Bar.
grave Deane made an applioation to Sir James Hann= in
reference to the goods and chattels of the late Captain
Dudden, of the ill-fated La Plata. The learned counsel
stated the supposed deceased sailed on board the ship on
the 25th of November last, and she was lost on the 29th.
Captain Dudden was seen on the bridge, and there was little
doubt that he perished. The widow. now wished for a grant
of probate, with leave to swear the death "on or about the
29th of November." Sir James Hanuen said the grant
might go as asked, though in this case the word "on," in-
stead of "on or about," would suffice. Mr. Deane said the
application was made in the usual terms. Sir James
liannen : Oh, certainly it is. The grant may go.
In London, on Monday evening, Dean Stanley
presided at a meeting of the City and Spitalfields School of
Art (a school of great service in teaching
.the principles of
design to those occupied in manufactures where skillcd
labour is required). Dean Stanley, on assuming the chair,
took occasion to say he was reading the other day a letter
from a very excellent father to as excellent a daughter ; the
father describing the great pleasure he had in gardening,
and giving directions to the daughter on the advantages of
employing part of her leisure time in carving and sculpture;
that being an occupation well calculated, among others, to
take a person out of and beyond himself or herself, and one
on which a reasonable amount of energy might well be
employed. The father who gave that excellent advice was
the Prince Consort, and the daughter was the Princess-Royal,
who would one day become Empress of Germany,. The Dean
thought the young students _before him could not read a
better letter on the use and advantages of Art, or one more
calculated to bring out all their aspirations for what was
good, great, and true.