Year: 1879




LONDON, Dec. %, 1879.


William Hepworth Dixon, the historian and
traveller, is dead.


The police of Berlin have discovered print
ing press used for socialist purposes The
printer and two of his assistants were arrested.


BAZAINE.


Ex-Marshal Bazaine, who at the conclusion Of
the last Franco-G German war was convicted of
treason in the surrender of Metz, and whose
sentence Of death was committed by President
MacMahon to twenty years Imprisonment in the
Fortress at the lie Sainte Marguerite, whence
he escaped, with the assistance of his wife and
her cousin, has solicited permission to settle
some family affairs in France, but has been re-
fused.


RELIEF FOR IRELAND


Michael Davitt, one OF the political agitators
recently arrested in Dublin for seditous Ian
guage at public meeting and released
on bail, has been despatched to the West
Of Ireland by the Irish Land League
as commissioner for the relief of popular dis
tress. AT q meeting Of the committee for the
distribution Of the Duchess of Marlboroughs
relief fund it was shown that the sum of E6, 400
is already available for distribution.


TRADE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.


The North German Gazette says proposals
will be made to the government to bring for
ward n bill to replace the firm of j. c. Godde-
troy & Son, the Hamburg merchants who
suspended business some time since, by
Samoa and other South Sea islands,
30 as to avert the loss Of German commerce.
BY this bill new company would be formed
the government giving subsidy which would
secure to the stockholders five per cent
Concerning this notable firm the HERALD has
already published the following note:-"For
years they were known as the kings of the
South Pacific, and TAR away among the least
known islands their agents were to be
found quietly settled among the natives
and engaged in the collection of tor
toise shell, cocoa nut oil, and other
produce for the periodical visit of the vessels
employed in this trade. They eld their po-
sition as merchants in princely fashion, and at
the time of their prosperity scientific men
of the highest eminence were en-
ployed by them to explore the features
OF the different islands with which they
traded, and to get specimens for their famous
collection Most valuable information concern
ing old native usages has been obtained in this
way, and the Godefroy Museum Mt Hamburg is
rich in all that relates to the South Seas Possibly
there was some hope that the German govern
ment, in its anxiety to extend its commerce,
would enable the Godefroys to tide over the
period of difficulty by taking up some of their
liabilities in the South Pacific. But this has
not been the case, and there can be no doubt
their fall will go far to damage the German
business in that region."]


HERALD WEATHER SERVICE.


The weather is becoming very threatening in
the southwestern portion of these islands, and,
to judge from the reports received at the Meteor
illogical Office in London from the various sta
tons along the coasts, there is q large storm
moving toward us from the Atlantic. de-
spatch from Penzance states that strong gale
veering from the southwest to west is blowing
and the barometer is falling steadily. The sky
has assumed very threatening appearance and
the sea is high. fresh gale from the south
prevails ut Holyhead, the barometer registering
3O.O1 inches. The storm is evidently the first
instalment of the unsettled weather that the
HERALD Weather Bureau predicted would pre-
vail over these islands between the 9th inst.
and January2.