The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1880-02-27 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

THE ARMY ESTIMATES.  The Army Estimates have been issued. The total sum required for the financial year 1880-81 is £45,541,300., a net decrease compared with the last year of £104,400. The estimated amount to be paid into tho Exchequer during the year as extra roceipta is £561,000. A table, giving the number of men on regimental establishments of the army and auxiliary forces and of the reserves, shows that in the regular forces (regimental), home and colonial, the number of effoctives of all ranks on January 1, 1880, was 124,165; in the army reserves, first class, 16,651 ; and in tho second clue, 22,021. The effeetives in tho militia (including permanent staff and militia reserve) in training in 1878, 10,508, and the effective volunteers (including stall) on November I, 1879, wore 206,265. The total effectives in the home and colonial establishments were 493,094; and adding 67,630 regular forces on the Indian establishments, there is a total of effective* of all ranks of 560,733. The total establishments of all ranks for 1880-81 is 632,649.  Latest adviera from Sydney, giving particulars concerning the progress of the Exhibition, state that the total number of persons admitted during the three months from September (the opening day) was 464,336. A proposal to open the Exhibition on Christmas day was negatived by the casting vote of the chairman at a meeting of the Commissioners. All the jurors had been nominated, and the regulations settled under which awards are to be made. The Italian statuary, tho catalogue of which had just appeared, was attracting very great attention in the Fine Art Galleries, as were also the Japanese exhibits—particularly the lacquered wares produced by the aid of the sap of the Mum Vernieifera, stated to be specially cultivated in Japan for this purpose. The Exhibition is to be closed next month.  A suicide of an unusual character is reported from Calcutta. The scene of the tragedy was the Zoological Gardens, and the chief actor—or rather actress—was a wild ass of the gentler sex. Two years ago, by the liberality of Sir William Morewether, the gardens were enriched by a couple of wild asses from &Ando. These animals are valuable, as the breed is now very rare. Unfortunately, the male, transported to unwonted scenes, did not long survive the ehange. It was not, it should be remembered, tho patient drudge of our own dull climate, but nearer akin to that which under a more genial sky " scorneth tho multitude of the city." The faithful consort, bereft of her mato. found that life was not worth living, and committed suicide by dashing her head against the iron railing of the paddock until it gave any and a broken point entered her skull, and relieved the disconsolate creature from tho burden of being. There can be no doubt that this self-destruction was as deliberate, if not more so, than the self-immolation of the Hindoo wives upon tho funeral pyres of their husbands. Only half an hour before death it had been noticed to lie in perfect health, no did the post-mortem examination reveal any trace of disease. It does not appear that this scrutiny extended to the brain, although human suicides 6enorally show some trace of cerebral disorganisation. The occurrence, although rare, is not altogether without precedent. In that posthumous treatise which boars the name of Dr. John Donne, the learned and witty Dean of St. Paul's, ho points out that self-preservation is not so particular a law of nature but that beasts naturally transgress it, and, though the examples ho cites from Si. Ambrose and others may not carry much weight now, his doctrine can be corroborated by more modern instances. There are numerous though often overlooked cases alike of birds and of reptiles, who when taken from their native habitat and imprisoned by man resolutely starve and die rather than endure the bonds of slavery. There are also instances of animals which have, like tho Englishman in the epigram, killed themselves rue se desempoyer. Dogs and horses alike have boon known to commit suicide by drowning, and their behaviour and motives have boon elaborately discussed in scientific journals.  I---1---v--- - .:-- .----;-