The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1886-12-25 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

PIMLIERFR EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY  SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1886.  It is ssid that Lord Salisbury and his colleagues are negotiating with the Holy See for the purpose of re-establishing diplomatic relations between England and Rome. Recognising the impossibility of governing Ireland as they would like, and scorning to acknowledge the advantages of Mr. 0 ladstone's measure, they fall back upon the Pope, and undertake to send an ambassador to his court provided he commaods the Irish bishops and priests to behave as becomes loyal Conservatives.   A St. Petersburgh doctor committed suicide tho other day bccause a certain operation which he performed on a patient did not prove successful. If the example thus set by the too-sensitive Russian were to he univcsally followed by medical men, the profession would not be quite so popular as it is at present. It is, of course, a matter of opinion whether the change would in any way benefit mankind, but there can be no doubt that it would leave vacant many positions now occupied by distinguished surgeons and physicians.  Speaking at Northampton the other day Mr. Labouchere defended the Irish Plan of Campaign on the grounds that it was based on the same principle as trade unionism, by which the working class of this country combined to enforce their rights. In the case of the artisan he said it was asked that the wages should be sufficiently high, and in the matter of Irish agriculture that the rent should be sufficiently low.  Mr. Justice Butt has allowed Lady Colin costs up to £l5O in the suit in which she failed and full costs in the second suit. The petitions against the co-respondents were dismissed, those against the Duke of Marlborough, Captain Shaw, and Mr. Bird with costs. So far, no application has been made in regard to the costs of General Butler.  According to the official report the Exchequer receipts between April Ist and the 18th inst. amounted to £56,690,916, as against £35,939,945 in the correspondiug period of the last financial year; and the expenditure to £59,412,664, as compared with £61,734,051. On Saturday last the Treasury balances amounted to £2,635,444, as against £2,436,093 on December 19th last year.  The editor of .''as $ Ira Satitni zy Journal recently offered a prize for the best list of the twelve greatest living men. Ihe result was decided by the vote's of the competitors. Mr. (Hailstone's name found a plaoe in about 99 per cent. of the voting papers. The following catalogue of the distingnishol names may not be uninteresting : ladstone, 32,544 ; Bismarck, 32,245; Tennyson, 23064; Lesseps, 19,776; WolseleY. 17,952; Salisbury, 17,592; Moltke, 13,968; Bright. 13,741; Churchill, 13,117; Ruskin, 12,389; Henry Irving, 10,560; 11. M. Stanley. -10,141. The Marquis of Hartington and Mr. Chamberlain were a long way down on the list.  The relations between France and Germany are daily becoming more strained. Instructions have been sent to the heads of German army corps in Alsace-Lorraine to push on more rapidly the drill of recruits, and for the officers to prepare for war next spring. It is fels that the only obstacle to the commencement of hostilities on the part of Germany is the aged Emperor William, who tries to keep peace during the rest of his reign.  Those connected with the steel and iron trades will have learned with satisfaction that Messrs. Gibbs. Bright, and Company have secured Vargo contract for 50,540 tons of steel rails, :ie. This will afford considerable employment in that branch of industry during the ensuing twelve months, and the enterprising local tiriu in question i. to be congratulated on its success. --•- The greatest sensational divorce trial of the age has ended in a manner truly surprising to the general public. After patiently hearing the case in all its disgusting detais tho jury returned a verdict to the effect that neither Lord Colin Campbell nor his wife was guilty of the immorality with which they charged each other respectively. If this be so, has there not been very hard swearing somewhere? But perhaps perjury is the latest addition to aristocratic accomplishments.  A verdict of wilful murder has been returned against a woman named Ellen France, of Tower Gullett, Aspull, for murdering her child. The woman had been ailing for some time past, and it is believed she committed the crime while in a state of temporary insanity.  Owing to the treatment they received while carrying out the plan of campaign, Messrs. Dillon and O'Brien contemplate bringing an action against the police authorities for "conspiracy, false imprisonment, assault and battery, trespass, robbery, and malicious prosecution." From this it will be seen that the Government will not have all the law to themselves.