Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1885-01-03 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

CHRISTMAS AT THE LONDON GENERAL  POST OFFICE.  Of late years the PrTst—Olfice—Mrtiorities have found it absolutely necessary to appeal to the public not to defer the posting of their earls until Christmas Eve, and the request has been in great measure complied with. But for this action, whereby the consequent extra work is spread over three or four days, the machinery of the Post Office would almost certainly break down. As it was the Christmas Day delivery in many parts of the metropolis was not completed until late in the afternoon even with the assistance of all the auxiliary messengers at the command of the authorities. The pressure was equally felt in Liverpool and other large cities, where there are not available an many means of relieving it as in London. In Manchester the work proved to be quite beyond the powers of the ostablichment, so that many thousands of cards intended for delivery on Christmas Day remained in the office until Friday, although many of the staff were on duty for twenty-six consecutive hours. At St. Martin'sle-Grand the business throughout the week was heavier than at any previous Christmastide; 'but, as might be supposed, the greatest strain came on Christmas Eve, when 3000 men and youths—being 500 more thm the normal number—were engaged in the processes of facing, sorting, and stamping letters, newspapers, and packets. Some 500 extra hands were also employed outside to assist in collection and delivery. The increase in the business of the Parcel Post was as noticeable as that in the other departments. It is estimated that the weight of the letters, books, and papers despatched from the General Post Oilice on Christthas Eve, by the night mails alone, was between seventy and eighty tons, and that the number of missives which had to be stamped and sorted during the first half of the week was some millions in excess of the ordinary total. In addition to the usual employes on duty that night the cervices of 350 policemen and fifty commissionaires were requisitioned.  COUNT BALDWIN, of Hainanlt. [eldest son ok the Count of Flanders, who is heir to the throne of Belgium, is coming to England shortly to spend a yen. at Oxford as an unattached student. .  Durtnon the last two years Prince Ibrahim filmy, son of the Kit dive 'small, well known for his extensive knowledge of the language and literature of England, has busied himself in the accumulation of the records of works, manuscript as well as printed, and of all countries relating to Egypt and the Soudan. The bibliography Is, of course, extemive, and the labour has been necessarily protracted in consequence of the late activity of the press in regard to the affairs of the land of the Pharaohs, the Suez Canal, and the British expeditions. The work will extend to two large quarto volumes, and will include notices of the earliest as well as of the latest writings in any way affecting the country and its people. THE Portuguese Prime Minister has submitted to the Chamber of Peputies the draft of certain proposal reforms in the Constitution of that kingdom. The chief proposal is that the Chamber of Peers shall in future be composed of 100 life peece appointed by the King and 50 elected by an indirect process. A BOARD of Trade inquiry into the cause of the foundering of the steamer Thames on a voyage from Aberdeen to Drontheim in October last has just concluded at Aberdeen. The Court gave judgment to the effect that the loss of the ship, which involved the lees of thirteen lives, was due to her having been overladen, uweaworthy. and undermanned. THE church of St. Matthew,Camplield, erected in 1821 from designs by Sir Charles Barry, was reopened last week after renovation and enlargement at a cost of £l4OO. The new pulpit which is in course of construction will ben memorial to the late rector, Canon Bently. . . .  ACCORDIN" to notice the steel works of Messrs. Miaow, Vaughan and Co., at Eaton, have been closed for an indefinite period Shout 800 hands will be affected by this step. It is believed that the new Spanish Navigation Tax raising the duty on exported ore from 2 to lid. per ton has a bearing on this firm, the firm being large importers of Spanish ore. A TERRIBLE tragedy has occurred at Musselborgh, in Midlothian. A woman named Christina Smith, 27 years of age, wife of a labourer, murdered her infant daughter, Ann, by cutting her throat with her husband's ra,or, and then committed suicide in the same way. Mrs. rnith has recently suffered from melancholia, but when her husband went out to visit a friend about seven o'clock the other evening, he noticed nothing enUSUAL On returning about ten, he saw his wife lying on the kitchen floor and the baby beside her. The child's head was almost severed from its body. Two other children were lying lathe same room sleeping..  11FNILY PAREFR, a labourer, of lb-ill, Eno met his death by choking, caused by a piece of beef becoming lo:Iged in the throat whilst eating his Christmas dinner. Ile died in the presence of his wife and family.  THE Bishop of Newcastle has recently consecrated a church dedicated to St. ( ieorge, at ( allercoats, Newcmtle, erected at a cost of £21,000, "to the glory of God, and in memory of his beloved father, George, the fifth Duke of Northumberland, by Algernon George, sinth Duke of Northumberland," as stated in a tablet in the west end of the church The Duke of Northumberland, at a subseluent luncheon, urged the necessity of those worshipping in the church contributing liberally to its support, and the Bishop of Newcastle mid that he hoped there would be a turn in the shadow of depression which was clogging the wheels of the commercial chariot and finding its way into our agricultural home!,  so that there might be once again merriness and happiness in England. SIR CIIARLFB MORDAUNT has been thrown from his horse whilst limiting near Shuckburgh, breaking lois collar-bone l^ ihe tall.