The Sun. — 1870-05-19 (London, England)

GENERAL DOMESTIC SERVANTS' BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.—The twenty-fourth annual meeting was held at the Hanover-square Rooms, Lord Ebury in the chair. The report stated that there were fifty-four pensioners now on the fund, seven of whom were receiving £2O per annum each, and the remainder £l5 per annum. The total number of pensioners elected since the formation of the society had been 103, who had been paid the sum of £10,500. Arranvements were in progress for the erection of an asylum for aged and decayed servants. The registry was working well, and gave general satisfaction to both employers and servants ; no servant being admitted on the registry who is not a member of the institution. The total income for the year had been £1,763 9s. 7d., and the expenditure, including £BlB paid to pensioners, £43 in temporary relief, and £416 invested, had been £1,694 2s. 3d., leaving a balance of £69 7s. 4d.  Mr. Villiers has been elected chairman of the Convents Committee.  The Levant Times states that Mrs. Lloyd's pension from the Greek Government is to be £4OO a year. The marriage of the Marchioness of Hastings and Sir G. Chetwynd, Bart., is to be solemnised the second week in the ensuing month.  The new Roumanian Cabinet has published its programme. Its watchwords are to be " Morality, Legality."  It is stated that the pay of the Commander-inChief in Ireland is henceforth to be £2,000 per annum instead of £4,000.  The account of the reception of the Rev. Mr. Jackson at Ledbury is incorrect. The parishioners generally took no part in the proceedings.  Yesterday morning about 10.30 it was discovered that Mr. Firth, photographer, of Dudley-grove, Padding ton, had committed suicide by taking poison. He leaves a wife and six children with one child lying dead.  James M'Donald, a young Irish labourer at Bolton while crossing the railway was knocked down by a goods train and had his head completely severed from his body.  The real mystery of " Edwin Drood " is now supposed to be the substitution of Mr. Fildes in the stead of Mr. H. K. Brown (Phiz) as illustrator of the work.— London Figaro.  The lmera, a Greek journal published at Trieste, recommends as a remedy for the present condition of Greece to abolish the Constitution, and to put the power into the hands of King George.  It appears from the return of Metropolitan Pauperism for the first week of May, which is published today, that the numbers in receipt of relief amounted to 140,500, or 40,500 less than at the close of February.  Mr. Zerah Colburn, the well-known civil engineer, died at Belmont, near Boston, U.S-A., on the 27th ult. Mr. Colburn was formerly editor of The Engineer and afterwards proprietor and editor of Engineering. Ile was also the author of a number of papers read before the In• stitute of Civil Engineers, of which he was a member. He was in his 37th year.  Senor Madoz, the bearer of a letter from Marshal Prim to Marshal Espartero, stating that animportant fraction of the Cortes wished to elect him as King, and asking for a statement of his views, has returned from Logrono with a letter from Espartero, declining to accept the proffered dignity on account of his age. The reply has caused much disappointment in Spanish political circles. THE SANITARY CONDITION OF PARIS,—The mortality reports continue to shew an unsatisfactory state as regards the health of the French capital. The smallpox is increasing in fatality, no less than 179 deaths from that cause having been returned in the week ending May 14. The total number of deaths in Paris from all causes during the week was 1,210. The mortality of London during the previous week was 1,314, which, comparing the respective populations of tha two capitals, 3,214,707 and 1,825,274, gives a very disadvantageous prominence to the Paris figures.  A practical illustration of the value of the new Torquay harbour in a pecuniary point of view has just been afforded, which is of considerable importance to the inhabitants. Hitherto only vessels of small tonnage have been employed in the coal trade, owing to the dpth of water not being sufficent to accommodate ships of a larger class, and the cost of the best coal has been at the rate of 245. to 255. per ton. On Monday night a large screw collier having nearly 600 tons of coal on board entered the new harbour, and lying alongside the quay in deep water dischargedher cargo into the stores close by, from which the best kind is retailed at 18s. 9d, per ton, creating quite a revolution in the coal trade.—Western Morning News.