The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-05-14 00:00:00

Nisallantoits Intelligtart.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

AVERAGE PRICES or-BRrrisa Com—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending May 7, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 445. 9d. ; barley, 31s. Ed. ;
oats, 225. 3d. per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 465. ; barley, 335. 4d. ; oats, 255.
ELECTRIC FIRE-ALARMS.—The electric fire-alarm
system in New York (says the Builder) enables the
dectipants of a house on fire to signal the outbreak
without leaving the premises, inasmuch as the alarm
is placed inside the house, and so rendered accessible
to its inmates. In this manner some 925 alarm-boxes
are spread over the town, commanding 60 wires, all
connected with the head office, whilst the ektent of
this special telegraphic net-work amounts to 700
miles. These boxes have each numbered keys, the
receivers simultaneously holding themselves liable for
their proper use. To further avoid false alarm, when
a key is once insert 44, it cannot be withdrawn with-
out the use of a second key, which is, however, left to
.the sole custody of certain firemen. A second system
is introduced in New York, which is carried out by
the "Automatic Signal Telegraph Company." This
company transmits any fire-alarms it may receive at
its sub offices straight on to head-quarters in such a
manner that the request and address of the applicant
are at once read off an indicator dial.
• SIR G. M. GOES IN FOR CULTURE.— "Look 'ere,
Clarke. 'Appy thought! I'll make this little room
the Library, you know; 'aye a lot o' books. Mind
you order me some."—" Yes, Sir Gorgius. What
sort of books shall I order ?—" WI, the best, of course,
with binding and all that to match."—"Yes, Sir
Gergius. How many shall I order?"—" Well—let
me see—suppose we say a couple o"undred yards of
'em, hay? That 's about the „size of it, I think."—
Punch.
REMARKABLE CRICKET SCORING.—In the match,
Cambridge University v. England, played at Cam-
bridge on Monday and Tuesday, out of 363 runs
compiled by the University in the two innings
the Brothers Studd made 249, viz., G. B. Studd 69
and 48; J. E. K. Studd, 9 and 74; and C. T. Studd,
30 and 19. The latter also caught out four of the
England team.
INGENIOUS DISCOVERY.—How to hear plants grow
has been discovered by two Germans. At a recent
meeting of the Silesian Botanical Society, an appa-
ratus was shown, in which the growing plant is con-
nected with a disc, having in its centre an indicator
which moves visibly and regularly, and thus on a
scale, fifty times magnified, denotes the progress in
growth. Both disc and indicator are metal, and when
brought in contact with an electric hammer, the
electric current being interrupted at each of the
dividing interstices of the disc, the growth of the
plant is as perceptible to the ear as to the eye.

- -
EMIGRATION TO AMERICA. —Emigration from the
Mersey to the Western Continent continued on a large
scale last week. Amongst the departures were the
steamers Lord Clive and British Queen, of the American
line for Philadelphia, with 2,156 persons; the Teutonia
( Dominim4 Line) for Quebec, with 258 persons; and
the Grecian and Sardinian (Allan Company) for
Quebec, with 1,427 persons. The steamers of the
other leading lines also took out a large number of
emigrants.
GERMAN THEATRES.—German theatres seem to have
escaped the fire-fiend better than the play-houses in
other countries. The oldest theatre in Germany is
that at Ltineburg in Hanover, built in 1740 ; next
comes the Wiener Burg in Vienna, 1742, the Leipzig
City Theatre and the Mannheim Court Theatre, dating
from 1766 and 1777, while the theatres at Augsburg and
Pressburg, -two in Vienna, and one at Frankfort were
also erected during the last century. -

QUICK WORK !—A curious Art Exhibition recently
took place in New York. Relays of artists threw off
rapid sketches in oil, water-colour, or charcoal, or
modelled small statuettes in a given time, before a
large number of spectators. Thus in forty-five minutes
one painter finished a landscape with an old mill,
figures, and cattle • another portrayed a duck and her
brood; while a sculptor executed a has relief of Cupid
and Psyche, the works being sold for a charitable pur-
pose, and one fetching as much as £l5.
A VEsan ATTACKED BY A WHALE.—The British
barque Anna has arrived at Baltimore on the 16th
ult. from London, and her master reports having lost
two hands overboard during bad weather, and having
also been attacked by a whale. The later occurrence
took place about three o'clock in the afternoon, when
the vessel was in lat. 42.31, long. 35. The whale,
which was a large one, was first observed from the
bow of the barque a considerable distance off. It
made direct for the vessel. The captain seeing its
approach ordered her to be luffed up, so that the
whale should not strike her on the broadside. This
was done, and proved a wise precaution. The whale
came- up from behind and struck the stern of the
barque with great force, the wood being much
splintered. Passing on its course the whale on reach-
ing the bow struck it a blow with its tail, which
almost knocked away the cutwater from the 11 inch
mark to the keel. A streak of blood was visible in
the water after the whale had disappeared. A gale of
wind was blowing at the time. The pumps were
sounded, but it was found that the vessel was not
leaking. The captain was of opinion that the whale
was seriously hurt by the collisien.
THE ASTOR LIBRARY.—The report for last year of
the Astor Library in New York presents many tokens
of vigorous life. The general readers number nearly
forty-six thousand, or almost twice as many as in
1877 ; but a more striking fact is the large proportion
of students and scholars admitted to the alcoves on
the ground of their being engaged in literary or scien-
tific researches. Of these there were last year nearly
8,000. A substantial additional building, erecting on
adjoining ground, is expected to be opened in June.
Among the accessions to the library last year was a
collection of seven or eight hundred volumes and
pamphlets of the time of Charles 1., stated to have
beem acquired by Mr. Astor in England last summer.
_ AN /NTERESTING CELEBRATION.—The Paris Corre-
spondent of the Daily Telegraph writes :—An event
which is said to be without modern parallel, in the de-
partment of Seine Infikieure, has just been celebrated
by a three days' festival at the village of Pavilly,
where a highly respected pair, M. and Madame
Theophile Noel, have repeated the solemnization of
their marriage in the Church of the Holy Virgin, in
which ancient fane they were united fifty years ago.
After mass, the curd delivered an eloquent and appro-
priate address, dwelling on the remarkable facts, not
only that M. and Madame Noel were christened as well
as married in the village of their birth, but that their
parents and grandparents were likewise carried as
infants to the same font, and knelt as bridegroom and
bride before the same altar. A grandchild of thn
venerable couple was christened, after the cere-
mony of the golden wedding; and a large distribution
of loaves and cake to the poor of the commune then
followed.
A WARNING TO LOVERS.—Under the above heading
the Toroito Mail gives the following telegram from
Keokuk, lowa :—About nine o'clock the other night
the family of John J. Rail, living two miles east of
this city, was thrown into intense excitement and
despair by the sudden death of an only daughter, Miss
Minnie Rail, 'sixteen years of age. The young lady
was in the parlour at the time in company with
Charles Gray, her affianced. It seems from the state-
ment of Mr. Gray, which was given with broken sobs
and tears, that the two were seated on a lounge,
and he was urging her to name an early day
for their wedding. The girl was coy and bashful,
and hesitated about it. But the lover was im-
portunate, and sought in every way to induce a,
compliance with his wishes. At last she con-
sented, saying, "I will marry you in April." In
the excitement and joy of the moment Mr. Gray
threw his arms around her waist and drew her to
him with a quick, passionate embrace. He was not
conscious of exerting unusual strength, and does not
believe that he did. But the girl gave a short sharp
scream, and exclaiming, "Oh, Charley,.l'm gone!"
fell dead in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.
His frantic cries alarmed the family, who came into
the room to find the pitiful sight of the dead girl lying
pale and inanimate in her lover's arms. A messenger
was despatched post haste for Dr. Hale, who arrived
within an hour. But nothing could be done. The
young lady was beyond all human aid. It is the
opinion of the physician that heart disease was the
immediate cause of the girl's death. Naturally the
family are overwhelmed with grief, and young Gray is
almost beside himself with horror and despair. Miss
Minnie was a very handsome young lady, and was
well known in the society circles of this city. She
was extremely delicate, and possessed a slender frame
which succumbed to the slightest attacks of ill-health.

A " SOFT " IMPEACHMENT.—CaIIing a person an
idiot.—Funny Folks.

A REMINISCE.NCE OF LORD BEACONSFIELD.—A cor-
respondent of Notes and Queries says :—The late Rev.
Dr. Scott has often talked to me about the five o'clock
dinner in Welbeck•street, to which Colonel Bosvile
gave a general invitation to certain friends, who were
always welcome if they were never late. The guests
whom I heard Dr. Scott specially name as those he
was accustomed to meet, were Canning, Beckford,
Horne Tooke, Lord Nelson, Isaac D'lsraeli, &c. He
said that Mr. D'lsraeli had quite dissolved his con-
nexion with the Jewish Church, and was speculative
in his religious views. In 1820 I went to school at
Temple Grove, East Sheen, and slept, perhaps for a
year or more, in the same room with a boy named
Disraeli. For long afterwards I thought it was the
great statesman, especially as the -openingsof Vivian
Grey seemed to describe the school and its belongings.
In 1845, therefore, I assumed that it was so, when I
wrote to ask for his autograph for my wife. He was
already soaring out of common reach, and I received
this ans-wer "Dear Sir, —I cannot resist your appeal,
though life is so short, that I have long been obliged
to decline answering similar ones. Believe me, dear
Sir, yours faithfully, B. DIsRAELL Grosvenor Gate,
March 27, 1845." My schoolfellow must have been
his brother James.

PERSEVERING PICKPOOKETS.—A few days ago an
Englishman with his wife embarked on board the
Boulogne packet for Folkestone. The lady became
immediately aware of the loss of her purse and in-
sisted on returning to inform the police. The officials
were attentive and asked for the names of the victims.
The gentleman took out his pocket-book which con-
tained a certain amount of money, arid wrote his
name and address. He returned the book to his
pocket and escorted his wife on board just in time to
save the passage, but his pocket-book had also by this
time disappeared, the thieves having appropriated it
under the very eyes of the police.
A VALUABLE INVENTION.—M. Vigoroux, a French
surgeon has obtained the mitigation of pain by
administering a recurrent series of sound-waves, by
means of a tuning-fork and a sounding-board, to the
affected part. M. Bondet has devised an improved
arrangement. A tuning-fork is kept in constant vibra-
tion by means of an electro-magnet, and the undula-
tions are communicated to the skin by means of a
rod. Neuralgia is said to be removed in a few minutes,
and anmsthetic effects are induced by a longer action.
REPORTING No PROGRESS. Sir W. Harcourt
stated the other night that after they had finished with
Irish Land they would deal with London Water.
What with the opposition over the one, and the
expected opposition over the other, the House of
Commons between Land and Water will be fairly
stuck in the mud.—Funny Folks.

DEAN STANLEY AT OXFORD. -- Dean Stanley preached
on Sunday morning at the City Church (St. Martin's),
of which the Rev. C. J. H. Fletcher is the rector.
Every portion of the church was densely thronged,
the congregation filling all the aisles and other parts
of the edifice as well as the sittings, whilst large
numbers were unable to obtain admission. Many
members of the University were included in the con-
gregation, as well as the Mayor and Corporation, who
attend in state every Sunday morning. The Dean
preached from the text taken from the epistle for the
day, "The King, as supreme," Ist St. Peter, 2nd
chapter, 11th verse, and his sermon was entirely
devoted to the consideration of the subject of the
Royal supremacy. A brief history was given of its
origin and the influence it had exercised. Its great
value, both socially and politically, was • pointed out,
and the benefits derived from it were eloquently
dwelt upon. Dean Stanley afterwards preached in
Balliol College Chapel at the five o'clock service from
the text, "Little children, keep yourselves from
idols," basing his discourse especially upon Lord
Bacon's classification of idols.

GREEN FoDmeat FOR WINTER.—A correspondent of
the Journal d'Agrieulture Pratique writes of a success-
ful attempt to keep clover fresh for winter usage,
made on an extensive scale. The bad weather in the
spring of 1880 during the harvest time led to this ex-
periment. A large piece of land yielded an abundant
clop of violet clover, which was stored in pits sixty
metres long, four metres deep, and six metres for the
opening. The. work was done in all weathers, and
sometimes the clover was thrown into the pit when
dripping with water. The pit when full was covered
over with a straw lid, which produced the desired
pressure for the preservation of the fodder. The
whole remained in this state until March 10, 1881,
when the first pit was opened. The clover was found
to be in a perfect state of preservation, and exhaled
its alcoholic odour. All Lhe animals to which it was
offered took it eagerly, from horses to sheep. In the
farm the horses ate it chopped up, as did the oxen and
sheep which were being fattened ; for the latter it was
mixed with oil cake. The stalled beasts ate it from
the manger just as it came from the pit. The clover
may be chopped and left for several days; it will not
heat in the mass, although it will preserve its
moisture. The effect of this food on much cows was
as successful as on other cattle. The milk grew daily
richer, the butter which had been very pale became as
yellow as in summer. "In short, the further we go
the more convinced we are of the excellence of this
means of preservation," says the writer, for it leaves
in the flowers and foliage all their nutritive quality
and relishing flavour, which is lost when the fodder is
dried.

EMIGRANTS ARRIVING IN AMERICA.—The Corre-
spondent of The Times says :—" Six steamers landed
6,521 emigrants, mostly Germans, at New York on
Monday. The arrivals for May are expected to exceed
70,000. The Castle-garden Labour Bureau reports
that there is a good demand for labour, especially for
farm hands and house-servants. The influx Is so great
that Castle-garden is scarcely able to accommodate
them, and tents are being erected in Battery-park
adjoining. It has been suggested that the railways
should carry the immense emigrant trains to the West,
the large proportion of the arrivals remaining only for
a few hours in New York."

THE CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP.—The Daily Ex-
press of Dublin publishes the following letter of the
late Lord Beaconsfield, addressed to Mr. Johnston, of
Ballykilbeg, in 1869, when he represented Belfast. It
is of interest at the present time when the 'question of
leadership is the subject of public speculation and dis-
cussion :—" Dear Mr. Johnston,—The leader of a
party in a House of Parliament is never 'nominated.'
The selection is always the spontaneous act of the
party in the House in which he sits. It was so in the
case of Lord Cairns, who yielded most unwillingly to
the general wish, Lord Salisbury being one of the
warmest of his solicitors. It was so in my own case.
Lord Derby never appointed me to the leadership,
but the party chose to follow me and the rest en-
sued I make no doubt our friends in the
House of Lords will in due season find a becoming
chief, but our imposition will not aid them. They
will be better helped to a decision by events. Thank
you for your kind evpressions, which I have at all
times appreciated.—Yours sincerely, B. DISRAELL
CROP PROSPECTS IN FRANCE.—Very gloomy ac-
counts of mischief done by frost, floods, and biting
winds come from France. A correspondent writes
from Vigan to the Midi of Nimes :—" One evening
recently, after a violent storm, a waterspout burst in
the cantons of Vigan, Sumene, Sainte-Hippolyte,
Sauve, and Quissac. The rivers Arre Rientord, and
Vidourle overflowered their beds and caused much
damage in their vicinity. Vineyards and orchards were
partially covered with water which, when, it sunk away,
left a layer of slimy mud, very prejudicial to the crops., '
L'Echo des Cevennes states that the colfi, which is so
persistent, has committed great havoc with all sorts of
vegetation, mulberry trees, vines, and other fruit trees.
La Fraternitg says that silkworms have cast their first
skin, but no certainty can be arrived at as to the silk
harvest. Le Centre, of Limoges, states that at
Estivareilles and in the neighbourhood potatoes have
suffered from the late frosts. The oaks planted on the
flat are much damaged, whilst serious fears are felt for
the rye; but hopes are entertained if the sun should
makes its appearance. In certain places the vines are
attacked, anu the fields of lucerne are completely
destroyed.
"THE CHILDREN or SILENCE."—Mr. Fawcett made
an announcement in the House on Monday night in
answer to a question put to him by Mr. Parker, that
arrangements have been made for employing, by way
of experiment, a certain number of deaf and dumb
persons in Post-office work, and this will give general
satisfaction (says the St. James's Gazette). There are
few afflictions to which human beings are subject
more terrible than that of being unable either to hear.
or speak; and although much has been done of late
years to brighten the lot of the "children of silence"
by educating them on an improved system, their con-
dition under any circumstances is one that especially
entitles them to the sympathy of their fellow-crea-
tures. Excluded from all direct intercourse with the
world around them, occupation is to the deaf and
dumb a boon of inestimable value, not only as ameans
of sulagstence, but also as an alleviation of the mono-
tony of their existence. As copying clerks in. the
public service they, have occasionally found employ-
ment, and have been remarkable for the diligence
with which they performed their duties. There
seems to be no reason why they should not be able
to sort letters as well as those who can hear and
speak.
BIG STOCK IN THE STATES.—A correspondent of
the Rural New Yorker says :--" We have more good
Jerseys here than in the island of Jersey, more
shorthorns than in England, and English breeders
have paid Us larger prices for our animals than were
ever paid in England. We have the best merinos in
the world, our horses have beaten the English racers
on their own turf, no other trotting horses can approach
the American bred horses. There are as nearly as many
horned cattle in Texas as in all Great Britain, England,-
Scotland, Ireland, and Wales united."
THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED.—The Emperor William
of Germany's favourite dish is asparagus, and the
Emperor loses no opportunity of partaking of his pet
dainty. Lately, however, according to the American
Register, whenever asparagus has been served at the
Berlin Schloss, the Emperor has complained of a soapy
flavour, declaring that the vegetable never tasted of
soap elsewhere. For a long time the cause remained a
mystery. At last, however, it was found out that
owing to the Castle kitchen being some distance from
the dining-hall the dishes were carried across a yard in
covered baskets, the asparagus in particular being
carefully kept warm by an extra supply of hot dinner.
napkins. These napkins are washed in household
soap, and the asparagus, aided by the heat, soon
acquired a soapy taste from its brief contact, so that
the Emperor, who was helped first, and took the top
portion, had the full benefit of the soap.
A PRIMITIVE TELEPHONE.—TeIephony among the
Bheels that wild hill tribe who have once more come
into notoriety by their recent disturbances in Oodey-
pore, is conducted on simple bid effectual principles.
Over the mouth of a large common earthenware
" Gurrah " is tightly stretched a piece of raw hide.
with a hole in the cetitre, into which is inserted one
end of the mid-rib of a long peacock-tail feather.
This feather being smartly rubbed up and down with
the fingers on a rough piece of wood, produces a long
monotonous hum, which, The Times of India tells us,
quickly spreads through the silence of the jungle for
over a mile, and signifies the approach of danger. The
alarm is quickly taken up by the nearest " pal" or
village, and similarly conveyed onwards. The women
seize their only possessions, a baby and a brass cook-
ing-pot, and escape to the hills the bigger children
and the goats and buffaloes following, and the men
bringing up the rear, and discharging Parthian darts
with their bows R 4 they go.

THE LATE KING OF HANOVER.—The following
amended inscription has just been substituted for the
original lettering upon the memorial of the late King
of Hanover in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle :
"Here rests in peace among his kindred, the Royal
Family of England, George the Fifth, King of
Hanover. Born at Berlin, May 27, 1819. Died at
Paris, June 12, 1878. Receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved. In Thy Light shall he see light."
—ln the first inscription the word " last " was used
before "King of Hanover," and some exception having
been taken to this soon after the tablet was erected, it
was omitted from the fresh gold lettering beneath the
bas relievo. -
WAGES IN NEW SOVIEH WALES.—According to the
Australian and New Zealand Cazette, the following
are the prices paid for skilled labcur in some of the
principal trades of the colony :—Printing trade: Com-
positors, on newspapers, is. to is. ld. per 1,000;
jobbing, £2 10s. to £3 per week. Building trades:
All labour is paid by the day of eight hours. Car-
penters, 98. to us. ; stonemasons, 108. to us. ; brick-
layers, 10s. to 12s. ; painters, 9s. to 10s. ; plumbers,
88. to 10s. ; gasfitters, Bs. to 11s. The supply of labour
has more than kept pace with the demand, and is more
than ample at the present time. Iron trades: The
following rates are paid by the hour, the men working
eight hours a day, with two breaks in summer and one
in winter: Ironturners, is. to is, sd. ; engine fitters,
11d, to is. 4d. ; shipsmiths, is. to is. 6d. ; iron
moulders, is. to is. 3d.; boilermakeKs, is. to is. 4d. ;
furnacemen, 10d. to Is. id.; machinemen in fitting
shop, 10d. to is. lid. Country blacksmiths receive
from £75 to £BO per annum, with rations or board.
The supply of labour is, generally, more than the
demand.
THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Tues-
day (10th) was the seventy-eighth anniversary of the
birth of Mr. Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, M.P.,
and Lord Lieutenant of Glamorganshire, who was born
on May 10, 1803. Mr. Talbot has represented Glamor-
ganshire in the House of Commons since 1830, having
thus had a seat in Parliament for upwards of half a
century, and is the only member of that body who
voted at the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832. A
peerage was offered to this gentleman in 1869, but he
declined the honour.

ADDITIONS TO THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—
The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens,
Regent's Park, London, during the past week include
a silver fox from North America, presented by Mr.
Robert Hunt L. B. Lydston Newman; a Vulpine
phalanger from Australia, presented by Mrs, J. S.
Henderson; a goldfinch, British, a snow bunting,
European, presented by Mr. John Fletcher; an eyed
lizard, South European, presented by Mr. James
Wellford ; an Indian cobra, from India, presented
by Mr. H. Jamrach ; a monkey from West Africa,
on approval; two Humboldt's lagothrix, two Matamata
terrapins, from Upper Amazons, a green•billed toucan
from Guiana, three saddle-billed storks from West
Africa, three roseate spoonbills from South America,
a Japanese teal from North-east Asia, three Magel-
lanic geese frcm the Falkland Islands, purchased; a
Reeves' Muntjac, born in the Gardens.

_
SOCIALISM IN SWITZERLAND.--All incident has just
occurred at Zurich which (the Geneva correspondent
of The Times says) strikingly shows how little hold
Socialism has in Switzerland, notwithstanding the
presence in the country of so many foreign Socialists,
and goes far to prove that the best antidotes for sub-
versi v e doctrines are free institutions and complete
liberty of the press. Zurich, being a manufacturing
centre, is supposed to be more prone to Socialism than
any other part of the Confederation; and at the
cantonal election on Sunday week the Social Demb-
erotic party ran a candidate in every district. They
boasted that they would show how strong they were;
but they did not return a single candidate. They
received less than 3,000 votes, while nearly 60,000
were recorded for their opponents. Their supporters
were found exclusively in the towns of Zurich and
Winterthur, the country districts not having given
them a single vote, a circumstance easily accounted
for when it is remembered that in rur,al Switzerland
nearly every head of a family is a yeoman.

THE SACRED CAPITAL OF THE HITTITES.—Lieu.
tenant Conder, RE., the officer in chirrge of the ex-
pedition for the survey of Eastern Palestine, while
waiting at Beyrout for the arrival of his instruments,
has made a short journey in the north of Syria. He
visited Hums (where he found a Greek inscription,
Kalat-el-Hosn' Tripoli, Baalbec, and other places.
He announces that he has found on the shores of Lake
Kades an almost unvisited lake, south of Hums,
through which the RisLer Orontes flows—the "sacred
capital of the Hittites." He promises further par-
ticulars by an 'early post, as soon as he gets his books
together. The Hittites were defeated and their
city, " Ketesh," destroyed by an Egyptian king, about
1340 B. c.

AN INTERESTING DISCOVERV.—The Copenhagen
Correspondent of the St. James's Gazette, writing on
the 6th, says :—An interesting discovery has been
made by the executors of the late hereditary Princess
Caroline of Denmark. An old chest was found in the
lumber-room, "which not even the oldest servent re-
membered ever having seen opened, and as no keya
were found which fitted the lock, the lid was forced,
when, to the surprise of every one, the box was found
to contain a collection of rich furs, loose brilliants,
pearl and diamond necklaces, velvets, pieces of richly
embroidered satin canes and riding-whips with
handles of beautifully chiselled gold or silver, inlaid
with precious stones ; gold cups, in short, a quantity
of valuables worth many thousands of pounds. Ap-
parently the existence of this treasure had been
entirely forgotten by the late Princess.
MILITARY PRISONERS.—A circular regulating the
treatment of military prisoners has been issued. A.
prisoner who is not to rejoin the service at the termi-
nation of his imprisonment is to be dealt with as
follows :—( A.) If convicted of an offence of an immoral,
dishonest, shameful, or criminal character, by com-
mittal to a civil gaol. (B.) If convicted of an offence
constituting a breach of discipline only in the same
manner as if he were to rejoin for duty at the termi-
nation of his imprisonment. A military prisoner
whose discharge is ordered while he is undergoing
sentence of imprisonment in a military pr.ison may,
if he has been convicted of an offence specified under„
be removed, if desirable, to a civil gaol.
THE LABOUR MARKET.—Trade is not so active as it
was a few weeks ago, over production having greatly
exceeded the demand. The stock of iron on hand is
very large both in Scotland and in the North of Eng-
land. The steel trade is also very dull just now in
Sheffield. From Leeds the report is satisfactory.
The engine works remain busy and the machine and
tool trades are fairly active. The cloth and felt mills
are fully employed and sales have been good during
the past week, the splendid weather which Ifaa
prevailed having caused a run for light summer
fabrics. Chemical works keep busy; as do also
leather dressers and curriers, overtime being
worked in several places. For boots and shoes the
demand has become active, and most firms in the
finishing and riveting branches have full work for
their hands, who have settled down to the reduction
of wages lately enforced. Painters, grainers, paper-
hangers,.ilecorators, cabinet makers, and upholsterers
are all well employed, and some firms could do with
more hands. The building branches are steadily re-
viving and a fair summer and winter trade is expected.
—With the continuance of genial weather, the im-
provement of trade in the West of England continues.
It is in most cases gradual, but some industries are
experiencing it in a marked degree, and seldom has
the clothing trade been more active, even in the busy
period between Easter and Whitsuntide, than it is
now. In South Wales the coal trade continues most
active, and the colliers are in good work. The iron,
works have been fairly active.

THE VALUE OF THE EAST WIND.—A good word
for the East wind is rarely spoken. Mr. Kains-
Jackson, the well-known authority on all points con-
nected with cereal culture, deolares that the recent
cutting winds from the most objectionable point of
the compass have just added ten millions sterling to
the value of the coming crops.

FRENCH DIPLOMATIC SALARIES.—The following is
the list of the salaries paid by he Government of the
French Republic to its representatives abroad Ambassadors: St. Petersburg, 250,000 f. • London,
200,0001.; Vienna, 170,0001. ; Berlin, 140,000 f. ' • Con-
stantinople, 13&,0001.; Madrid, 124,000 f. Rome
(Italy), 110,000 f. ; Rome (Vatican), 110,0001. Bern,
60,0001. Ministers Plenipotentiary; Pekin, 85,000 f.;
Yeddo, 80,000 f. ; Washington, 80,000 f.; Rio de
Janeiro, 80,000 f. ; Buenos Ayres, 70,0001.; Athens,
60,0001, ; La Haye, 60,000 f.; Lisbon, 60,000 f: ;
Teheran, 60,0001. ; Bucharest, 50,000 f. • Copenhagen,
50,0001.; Lima, 50,000 f; Munich, 50,000 f. ; Santiago
of Chili, 50,000 f. ; Stockholm, 50,0001. Belgradet
35,000 f.; Tangiers, 32,0001.; Port an Prince, 30,000 f,,
Getting°, 22,0001.