The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-07 00:00:00

Death of the Archduchess Mathilde.

Died at Vienna, in the eighteenth year of her age,
Matilda Maria Adelgoada Aloxandrina, Archduchess
of Austria, and daughter of the Archduke Albert.
Thus will run the record of one of the saddest
calamities which have darkened the annals of a
house doomed, it would seem, to be visited by mis-
fortune. The story of the Princess's death is one
which in itself is not unmatched in the records of
many an English family. Not a fortnight ago the
young Archduchess, who, if report be true, was
gifted with more than the usual share of grace and
beauty attaching to a race celebrated for their per-
sonal charms, was in perfect health and strength,
eagerly looking forward, we may presume, to the
festivities in which, as an Austrian Archduchess,
she would take part when the Kaiser should be
crowne 1 King of Hungary and Pesth. She was
standing at a window of her father's palace in
Vicuna, when sho appears to have trodden upon a
lucifer match that hid-been-dropped on the floor,
and then forgotten. The flame caught her dress,
and iu a few minutes the poor girl was carried off
to her bed burned, charred, and dying. At first
there was great hope that youth and strength might
enable her to survive the injuries she had sustained.
But in spite of all the care that could be lavished on
her, she never rallied from the shock, and yesterday
morning, after a weary struggle between life and
death, she expired. Even if the deceased lady had
been the child of unknown parents in humble life,
the story of her untimely end in the very bloom of
youth would be one of those events which come
home to every one of us. But what adds an
especial sadness to the present case is that the lady
whose death has thrown the Austrian family into
mourning seemed destined to occupy a promi-
altrtecl, she was se-
lected to rumours more
promi-
nent and brilliant position in the world that lay
cor d
allor l
beesfso r e herl
According
authoritatively
lected as the bride of Prince Humbert of
Savoy, as the future and first Queen of the
kingdom of Italy. Almost on the day when she
lay dying, the second son of Victor Emmanuel
was celebrating his marriage with the Duchess of
Cisterna ; and, when we remember the character of
the heir-apparent, it appears far from improbable
that this strange accident of fate should confer a
Royal title upon the lady who has just been raised to
the dignity of an Italian Princess. The bigots of
the Ultramontane school will see in the sudden death
of the Austrian Archduchess a fresh instance of the
divine displeasure which, in their opinion, awaits the
House that has set itself in opposition to the Holy
See. Zealots, however, would do well to remember
that the same visitation falls with far heavier weight
on the orthodox and pious dynasty of Hapsburg than
on the disobedient race of Savoy. It is to be re-
gretted that the feasts which celebrate the long-de-
ferred reconciliation between the Emperor and his
Magyar subjects should be marred by the melan-
choly death we are called on to record. With
his cousin dead, his sister-in-law's reason finally
gone, his brother's fate still uncertain, Francis
Joseph the Unlucky will enter with a sad heart
on the rejoicings about to commence at Pesth ;
and a superstitious people like that of Hungary
will be prone to augur evil from so inauspicious
an opening of the new regime. But the world
will think less of the State ecnsiderations con-
nected with the misfortune, more of the fair
young life, begun with so much of promise, and
so sadly ended.—Telegraph.

Mr. Smith Child, of Stallington Hall, Stone, has
given £BOO for the erection of a block of cottages for con-
valescents and incurables in connection with the North
Staffordshire New Infirmary.
THE TAILORS' STRIKE.—It having been reported
to the Central Committee of the Tailors' Union that
the masters whose shops have been struck against in
London were getting a large quantity of their more
pressing orders made up at Brighton, Mr. Druitt, the
president, was xent to Brighton on Wednesday to inquire
as to the truth of the report. He found it to be as stated,
that the majority of the Brighton masters were making
large numbers of garments for the London shops on strike.
He at once called a meeting of the trade for Wednesday
evening, and another meeting was held yesterday morn-
ing. A resolution was unanimously carried that no Lou-
don work should be executed in Brighton during the con-
tineance of the strike, and that all men then employed on
London work should at once cease work. This resolution
was at once acted upon, and yesterday afternoon '2OO men
turned out.

INTESTACY OF PERSONS OF SMALL MEANS.—
The Lord Chancellor's bill allows the widow of an intes-
tate dying worth not more than £lOO, or one of his chil-
dren being of age, or, where none of the issue are of age,
an uncle or auut or any of them, to make affidavit in the
county court setting forth the value of the property, and
obtain from the registrar a certified copy entitling the
applicant to the receipt of any money duo to the estate, or
the transfer of any share or the benefit of any interest in
the funds of any society ; and payment to such person is
to be valid, any
next of kin or lawful representative of
the deceased to be left to their remedy against the person
to whom the payment has thug been made. The checks
against fraud aro these :—The affidavit is not to be made
until a month after the death of the intestate, or two
months if the registrar gas received notice of a will or in-
tention to administer; the registrar may require a refer-
ence to tome person known to him by reputation, or other-
wise, to establish the identity and relationship of the
applicant; and if the registrar has reason to believe that
the property of the deceased exceeds £lOO, he can ref use to
take the affidavit,