GENERAL NEWS.

I GENERAL NEWS.

■ : <+- The Harvard Boat Club propose to challenge the crack oarsmen of Eoglish Universities for an eight-oared race next summer. The Prince of Wales has presented to the Sevres Museum the curious tomb in faience which wag exhibited by him in the Indian section of the Universal Exhibition. Two persons contemplate making a trip from San Francisco to Australia, in the coming spring, in a dory — the same kind of a boat in which the voyage was made from New York to Europe. William Grifis, with alias " Lord Aahburton," baa been arrested in San Francisco for extensive forgeries on the Union Bank of London, in the shape of circular letters. His intended victim, E.J.Baldwin, mil lionnaire hoi e!keeper,narrowly escaped. Mr Henry Thomas Richardson, of Brynhyfryd, Pwllhe'i, who died lately, and was in conjunction with his father, the inventor of the tubular life-boat, has by his will bequeathed £10,000 at the death of his widow for the purchase and maintenance of lifeboats at Pwliheli Deal. He also gives £3000 towards Rhnaygwalian Church, Bdla. The Admirality have at last given up all hope of recovering the wreck of the Vanguard. Arrangements are being made to blast the iron masts of the vessel, which at present obstruct navigation. Torpedoes may possibly be tised. The remains of the late Mr George Cruikshank were removed on the 29th November from KensaKgreen Ceruetry to St Paul's Cathedral. The Dean gave his consent to the burial in the Cathedral immediately after the death of Mr Cruikshank, but owing to repairs which were in progress in the crypt, the reception of the remains was deferred. The boiler of the engine of the up London mail train exploded in Penzance siationone Saturday afternoon. The dome of the engine was hurled through the roof of the station, and in coming down crashed into a first-class carriage, No one was injured. The number of medical men in Prussia amounted in 1878 to 8223, that of sui'geons to 149, and that of dentists to 251. The number of inhabitants was 25,724,404. The list of aristocratic composers is likely, the ' Era ' says to be shortly increased by the name of the Earl of Dunmore, who has composed a four-act Italian opera, which he intends to submit to Mr Mapleson. It is stated that the employment of the English officers of the gendarmerie in the Tcbataldjri lines has excit' d the jealousy of the Turkish officers, and that the former will resign should Baker Pasha not succeed in obtaining some redress for iusults to which they have been subjected. The council of Clifton College have elected Mr J. M. Wilson, of Rugby, as head master, in succession to the Rev. Dr Percival, whose appointment as President of Trinty Ooige, Oxford, necessitates his surrender of the office at Easter next. Mr Wilson was a classical scholar of St John's College, Cambridge, Bell University scholar, and Fellow of St John's College, and has for some years been a master at Rugby. The litigation in connection with the failure of the Tipperary Bank wa3 re» sumed before the Irish Lord Chancellor. This case had been in litigation for 30 years, and it was stated that one witness was under examination for four and a half years, and that one counsel's speech lasted nine months. A conversation took place between the Lord Chancellor and Mr Serjeant Sherlock, and the case was again adjourned. There are rumours at Constantinople of the discovery of a plot to depose the Sultan, and the late Ministerial changes are attributed to this circumstance. Some of I those who occupied prominent posts in the late Ministry are said to be implicated in the conspiracy ; the heir presumptive to the throne, as well as the brother and cousin of the Sultan, are said to be strictly guarded, and strong patrols are moving about the streets of Stamboul. Khourchid Pasha, formerly Minister of Justice, has been appointed Governor of Angora. An inquest was held on the sth Dec, on the body of Mr Frederick Gye, for many years manager of the Royal Italian Opera at Covent Garden, at Dytchley House, the seat of Viscount Dillon. The evidence was to the effect that as Mr Gye, on returning from a sliooting party, was in the act of assisting Sir Alfred Horsford over a sunken fence, the gun of the latter went off, and the contents lodged in Mr Gye's right side. A verdict of ac cidental death was returned. A boy, aged fifteen years, was charged afc Pentre with having attempted to hang his little sister, aged twelve years, at I lantrisant. The evidence showed that the prisoner, who is an incorrigible youth, and quite beyond the control of his father, took the opportunity, when almost everybody was out of the house, of tying a rooe to the ceiling, and attempting to hang his sister in the most methodical fashion. Happily the rope broke. He was sentenced to a month's hard labour. The witnesses in support of the charge against Lady Gooch and her nurse, Anne Walker, of having conspired together to palm off a spui'ious child upon her husband, Sir Francis Gooch, with intent to cheat and deceive him, went before the Grand Jury at the Central Criminal Court on December 10. After hearing a'l the evidence that was laid before them, the Grand Jury came into Court and made the following presentment: — "No true bill against Annie Louisa Gooch and Anne Walker for misdemeanour " No remark was made, and the Grand Jury were shortly afterwards discharged. A serious boiler explosion occurred in the Dow mine of the Agecroft collieries,

Pendleburyv Tbo stoker observed about eight o'clock that something was wrong with dne of the boilers, and summoned the engineers, who found that the water was low andUhe top of the boiler red-hot They immediately endeavoured to put out the fire, and took steps to prevent an accident, but a violent explosion occurred. To escape, the men, six in number, had to pass through the volume of et«am, and in doing so they were so fearfully scalded that the flesh came away from their arms and faces. No hopes are entertained of their recovery. It has now been cons : dered prudent (the ' Standard ' says) to make a further reduc tion in the strength of the Mediterranean fleet. The ships of Gallipoli are no longer under the immediate command of a flag officer Rear-Admiral Sir John Commerell having bi eo' removed and directed to return to England. The Agiucourt, the second flagship, has been taken from the streng.h of the Mediterranean fleet, end is now appropriated^ for service with the Channel squadren. The Shannon, ironclad, recently arrived at Malta from China, is a'so detailed from the Channel squadron, instead of for Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hornby's command ; and the Foxhound, which has been for many months detained in the Mediterranean, has now been ordered to proceed to China. Another ship the Seagull, which was intended to go up the Straits on arrival from the West Coast of Africa, has had her orders cancelled.