The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1881-05-07 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SUNDAY CLOSING OF PUBLIC-HOUSES.  On Wednesday evening the Bill introduced into the House of Commons by Mr. John Roberts for the 'closing of public-houses in Wales on Sundays passed its second reading by a very considerable majority, the voting being—for, 163; against, 17. The Bill received the support of Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Ruthbone, while its principal opponent was the irrepressible Mr. Warton. It was shown that the reform was desired by the Welsh people; and the question arises, why if the Welsh people desire it they should not have it ?  Those who are inclined to believe that the Nihilists are not quite so black as they have been painted may turn, with profit, to a perusal of the unique posthumous correspondence of the assassins of the late Czar of Russia. Kibalchich thus wrote to his brother after he had been tried and sentenced, "Nothing can now be changed. 1. bear with philosophical calm what Fate has decreed. I am a victim to the historical development of our country's condition, and have only done what I was bound to do. For the last two weeks I have experienced terrible impressions; but all that is over. I am now tranquil and resolute." The self-satisfaction, he tendency to fatalism, so characteristic of the morbid, melancholic mind which Russia, with its arid steppes and soul-killing influences, produces, and the almost ecstatic fervour of this are not the sort of elements which one would expect to find in murderers of the ordinary brutalized type. They tend to indicate that Kibalchich had a certain nobility of nature, and was at least worthy of respect, if a terrible danger to a society propped up by tyranny, terrorism, and venal officialism of the most villanons type. The condemned man went on to say : " Ask my defender to take up my invention of the flying =whine." Kibaltchich, it appears, left this invention to the State, requesting that the profits from it might be devoted to the maintenance of political offenders' children. What likelihood them is of this wish being carried out may be inferred from the fact that the Emperor is being advised to add to the punishment of the Nihilists by killing their children his advisers being fools, in the form of statesmen, to whom he displays a disposition to listen. Kibalchich's utterances are, however, by no means the most noticeable of the statements made by the condemned Nihilists. Sheliabof, the head and front of the offending, couched a communication to his sister in the language of religion and sentiment. " Ere long," he said, 'I shall depart to a place where there is no complaining or sighing. While upon earth, my endeavour has been to act in such sort that there should be fewer complaints and sighs here. This was ray object. To this purpose I have sacrificed everything. Now lam going to another world, and God will judge me. Should He take my part, should He not condemn my deeds, what will be the lot of those earthly judges who have passed sentence upon me? What shame will befall them I" Perhaps, all the sympathy of the world should not be with the Imperialism under whose cloak official murders are of common occurrote.  • 13111TU3H W• 11