The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-19 00:00:00

A TRIPLE SUICIDE.

Three girls, said to be domestic servants, were
seen a clay or two ago sitting together in the street
and drinking out of a bottle. The next morning
the keeper of the 4cton Lock, on the Regent's Canal,
Dalston, heard screams from the.igater. Drags were
procured, and the bodies of these three girls taken
from the canal. Some ene is reported to have
heard them threaten suicide, and it is stated
that one of them said, before jumping into the
canal, " There are some papers in my bosom, and some
handkel chiefs ; that, will be sufficient." One of them
also gave a portrait of herself to her sister, telling
her to " give it to her father.; he would know where
she was." It is to be hoped that this mysterious
and dreadful affair may have some light thrown upon
it at the inquest. The girls were supposed to be
under 18 years of age, and their appearance was not
that of abandoned women. Their tragical end may
be only the result of a craze, caused by a surfeit of
trashy reading. It may be the result of domestic
unhappiness, or even cruelty ; but it is sad to think
that the real cause may be only known to those who
have the best reason to conceal it, and that this,
like many other such tragedies, must remain a
mystery till the time when all secrets shall be
revealed,

FOREIGN NOTES.
AMERICA.

English elections, though not deficient in excitement,
compare but tamely with the American contests, and sink
into complete insignificance by the side of the struggle in
Pennsylvania. The party that expects to elect its Presi.
dent must carry this State, and the strength and the
influence of every kind which each possesses is in this
instance concentrated to the utmost. The leading Repub-
licans and Ilemocrats from all parts of the country—Blair,
Pendleton, Sickles, Wilson, Sherman, Burnside, and
others—come to lend their aid to their respective
sides. A dozen "mass meetings" are held nightly.
Processions, fireworks, fights, and uproars prevail the
whole time. The excitement, says the Times correspon-
dent, is swollen as each day passes. The contest also
increases in bitterness, and outbreaks constantly occur.
Firearms are generally carried, and the moment a fight
begins anywhere, fifty pistols are drawn. The processions
are stoned, the houses of the prominent men are smeared
with mud, and the portraits of the, two Presidential can-
didates, which are everywhere posted, are treated with no
greater respect. Out of the 120,000 voters in Pennsyl-
vania, about one-fourth, during the contest just termi-
nated, gave the whole of their time to their party. This,
be it said, " they do without the hope of gain, their
reward being the victory they expect to win." The con•
test decides the destiny of the American nation for four
years, and is bitter and earnest in proportion to its
importance.

Everybody votes. In Pennsylvania every white male
citizen over 2l years of age may be qualified by the pay-
ment, once in two years, of a tax equal to about nine-
pence, and a residence stipulation which is satisfied by
sleeping in any one house for ten days previous to an elec-
tion. Foreigners who have resided five years in America
can vote by becoming naturalised, and as the political
committees are always ready to pay expenses, the suffrage
is almost universal.

Each side liberally avails itself of cheating. It is suppose.)
that in a keen contest ten per cent. of illegal votes at e
polled. Citizens under age and foreigners who have not
been naturalised are brought to the ballot. Squads of
men go from one division to another, voting twice of
oftener. Districts which are doubtful are " colonised" by
locating a set of voters to secure a majority. There are
strict laws against these frauds, but neither party can claim
purity over the other. In the meanwhile the ballot seems
powerless to secure either secresy, honesty, or quiet.

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILS DUE.

&tier&lia and New Zealand, via 9.outharnpton.....Nov. 7,
Ditto, via Y Arsenics Nov 2

Ditto, via Pba.ama
Brasil, Buenos Ayres, and Monte Video Nov. 4
Ditto, by French packet Oat. 22.
Cape Vords, by Brazil packet . Nov. 4.
Cape of Good Elope, Asceniloa. and St. 11,lena ...Oat.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Sou hamptcn Oct. •9.
Gibraltar, via Southampton
Indla,via Southampton
vitto, via Marseilles
Malta, Egypt, &a. Oat 7.
Ditto, Marseilles., Oar. 12
Mauritius, Cape of Good lope, and Natal, via
Bouthana2ton

Ditto, - Aland ~
Newfoundland ...... ..... Oct 21

Portugal
United States, Canada, C tlitorni t, &co., by British

packet Oct 17
Ditto, by Canadian paoket ..... 16
Ditto, by L Lited States packet
Ditto ditto (Baltimore)

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