The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1908-02-08 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE PASSING WEEK.  King Carlos and the Crown Prince of Portugal were assassinated in lasbon on Saturday afternoon. The &Wei Perti.which included Queen Amalie and the Lufante Manuel, had juit returned from the omen. try. They were driving to the Palace when they were Bred upon by several men. The Infante was slightly wounded, but the Queen had a wOnderful serape. She stood up in the carriage to shield the Cmint Prince, but wis not touched by any of the bulls* -  • • • •  Ifasuel 11. was proclaimed King of Portugal OA Sunday, and took the oath at the Palate. In a proclamation he declares emit ha will uphold the Constitution.  On Monday Senor Franco resigned Ilie office, whioh was practically that of Dictator. ands Coalition Ministry was formed with Admiral do Amaral as Premier.  King Edward has °smashed next Thuraday'a Court and hie visit to Norway, and kaaordered a month's Court mourning. • • •  In the Thaw Case the jury on Saturday returned a verdict of "Not guilty on the ground of insanity." Thaw was removed to the Matteawan Insane Asylum.  The resignation by MT. Charles Booth of hi a position on the Poor Law Commission is =Joh to be regretted. He is one of the greatest living authorities on social questions, and he has devoted special attention to the question of old-age pensions. The authority of the Commission of which he was a member will undoubtedly be unpaired by his withdrawal.  The Parliamentary eorreepondent of Wednesday's "Daily Telegraph" wrote:— Four points are understood to have been settled in the forthcoming old-age pension scheme of the Government. First, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will aim at dotting aside a sum of .68,000,000 for the purpoee this year. The age of recipients will be fixed at a period not lower than 63 yeara, and not higher than 70. The amoaut will be Ss. per week.  S • • OR  Mrs. Hy-lands, widow of the late Mr. John Rylands, the millionaire merchant of Manchester, died on Tuesday at Torquay. On the death of her husband, in 1888, Mrs. Rylands became possessed of his east wealth, and as a memorial to him she erected the John Rylands Library, in Manchester. Her other benefactions to that city and other places were on a magnificent scale. Mrs. Rylands died childless, and a large portion of her wealth, it is known, will be distributed among charities.  S • • •  It as announced that the Belgian Government is prepaxed to renounce the Crown domain in the Congo State, and has come to an arrangement with regard to public works. The Belgian liolonial question is considered to be practically settled by the arrangement.  S • • •  On the resumption, on Tuesday, of the police proceedings in the charge of perjury against Miss Robinson in eannec hen with the Drum case, it was announced that the prisoner had made a full confession of her guilt. The oar* was again adjourned for a week.  S • • •  Captain P. A. Clive, the Unionist candidate, was on Saturday returned to Parliament for South Herefordshire by a majority of 1,019 votes, he polling 4,917 aga.inst 3.928 recorded for Mr. Whitley Thomson, the Liberal candidate. • •  S •  "Truth" says an official announcement of the betrothal of Princess Beatrice of SaxeCoburg-Gotha has been postponed for a short time for private reasons. Her marriage to the Infante Alfonso of Spain is expected to tarp place early in the summer, and probably at Madrid.  • * • •  The Countess of Yarmouth, in the Divorce Division, was granted a decree of nullity of marriage against her husband. The countess, who seeks dissolution of her marriage, is, as is well known, the giber of Harry Thaw, the young man lately tried in NevrYork for the murder of Stanford White, and found not guilty, but insane. The Earl of Yarmouth before his marriage had the repute of being an excellent amateur actor.  Pram Foon.—Hams 60. per lb. ;whole), tender, mild and tasty, just what llama should be. Prise Dairy Cheshire Cheese ltd. per lb. If you want a nice piece of Best Cheshire ,we have it. Jams: 211 s. Jar Plum 44d., 21bs. Jar Damson 5111., 2lbs. Raspberry and Gooseberry 54d.—Evans' Stores, 64 and 66. Exmouth-street, and 57a, Church-road. Telephone 47. 6W