HOME ITEMS.

Perhaps the most curious fact about Kensington, London, ia that it is the paradise of singie women. The excess of females over general population is 50 per cent,, as against 13 per cent, in all London, and the number of marriages is decreasing. Men on the look-out for wives would do well to go to Kensington. In the Lord Mayor's Court, London, recently, two gentlemeD — one an "Agnostic" and the other described more vaguely as an "unbeliever" — were discharged from the duty of serving on a jury. They made no objection themselves to serving ; but, in view of the decision in the case of " Clarke v JBradlaugh," the Common Sergeant held that "unbelievers" could take neither the oath nor the affirmation, and as such were ineligible as jurymen. By the death Mr Montague Chambers, Q.C., which took place in London on 13th September, the Bar loses one of its eldest members, the deceased having been born in November, 1799, and being consequently in his 86th year. Mr Chambers was admitted aa a student at Lincoln's Inu in February, 1818, and was called to the Bar by that hon. society in February, 1828, when he joined the Home Circuit, he having previously held a commission in the Grenadier Guards as ensign. He was the fifth son of the late Mr George Chambers, and a grandson of Sir William Chambers, the architect of Somerset House.

As the Princess Beatrice and her husband are to live with her Majesty, there will be little or do diminution in the intercourse between mother and daughter ; but, as a matter of fact, the relations between mother and daughter have never been of the close and confidential nature which people appear to think. They have always got on as well as possible, although the princess has occasionally " kicked " at the preposterous restrictions which have been placed upon her so far as her going into society and attending theatres were concerned ; and the Queen has allowed her to exercise a certain amount of power in small matters about the Court ; but for people living under the same roof, the Queen and her daughter have seen wonderfully little of each other, seldom meeting, indeed, except for drives and at lunch and dinner. The people with whom the Queen really lives, in whom she thoroughly confides, who understand her, are her four favorite ladies ; especially the Dowager Marchioness of Ely (who comes first) and the Dowager Duchess of Roxburgh.—Truth. The excitement in London about the fall of silver is the subject of an article in the Statist, It argues that "the effect of what is happening in relation to gold may have to be considered with reference to this question of the value of silver, which is reckoned in all the calculations, it must be remembered, in gold. For the present, however, we should say that the value of gold has been adjusted so that a further and sensible appreciation within a shout period is not so very likely. In the absense of extraordinary demands, the present annual supply seems just about equal to the ordinary demands. No doubt the tendancy for the future is for gold to appreciate still further, unless there is an increase of the supply ; but the very same causes which make it likely that gold Jwill appreciate, also make it likely that the value of silver will be sustained. The multiplication of commodities which causes an appreciation of gold also tends to neutralise the depreciation of silver, which may be due to the increased production of that metal."

Lord Vivian would seem to be a nobleman of decidedly feudal notions, insomuch as he has suddenly dismissed the crew of his yacht because they had declined to attend prayers. The men had signed articles for a voyage to the Mediterranean, and when, the yacht was lying in Helford River they refused to go to prayers, because on the previous Sunday after the service they were ordered to get the vessel underweigh. They were discharged next day, and therenpon took proceedings to recover from Lord Vivian a week's pay, which was granted by the Palmouth magistrates, who decided that the refusal did not interfere with the discipline of the yacht. The decision was greeted by loud cheering, a3 it was thought that the men had been sharply treated, and Lord Vivian is exceedingly unpopular in Cornwall, where nobady regrets his departure from GrJynn. Says a writer to an Australian paper :—: — Mr Chamberlain is growing in popular estimation every day. His declaration last night that he should decline to serve in any Ministry which did not embrace the cardinal points of the Radical programme will give a life and reality to the coming struggle, which it would not have borne had not Mr Chamberlain thus boldly nailed his colors to the mast. The three points on whioh he insists as the condition of his entranae into any Cabinet are the rearrangement of the incidence of taxation, so aa to secure equality of sacrifice on the part oE all classes ; free education and the conference of compulaory powers on local bodies to acquire lands — by purchase of course— for allotment and homestead purposes, This plain declaration of his views greatly clears the political atmosphere, and definitely marks Mr Chamberlain as the man of the future in the Liberal party. The "unco quid " folk of Thurso, Scotland, are divided in opinion whether it would be a breach of the fourth commandment or not to walk in their cemetery on a Sunday afternoon, Perhaps it would be some relief for them to know that their •' am John Knox " when he called on Calvin one Sunday fqund that eminent reformer '• playing a game at bowls." Again, Luther wrote :—": — " If anywhere the day (the Sabbath) is made holy for the more day's sake — if anywhere one sets up its observance on a Jewish foundation — then I order you to work on it, to, ride on it, to feast on it, to do anything to remove this encroaohment on Christian liberty." Mr Henry Kimber has been choßen to contest the new borough of Wandsworth, London, ia the Conservative interest. Mr Kimber who has pat completed his half century, has been in active practice as a solicitor in the city of London since 1858, and has, during that period, been closely allied with mercantile affairs, especially in the colonies. He tyas assisted in founding settlements in several colonies, amongst others the Manchester and Fielding settlements in New Zealand. A man possessing Mr Kimber's colonial sympathies and business connections haa naturally been a great traveller. He has visited the settlements just mentioned, has made one journey of 37,00Q miles round the world, crossed the United States four times, and traversed the whole length to New Zealand, besides making extensive tours in Australia and Canada, j