Our London Letter.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2334, 8 September 1877, Page 2

Our London Letter.

(FRO3I OUR OWN COIUIKSPOKDEJIT.)

Lo>"DON, July 26th COLORADO BEETLE. Your Ratipo spider seems to be creating almost as great a sensation in America ay their Colorado beetle is in England. As for the beetle in question, we have him o ii the brain. Newspapers furbish u p anecdotes illustrative of his awful habits ■ he furnishes a standing fund for conversation at dull dinner parties ; from " Punch1' downwards. Ho supplies food for jokes innumerable, and at every turn lie stares at you from every wall and boarding— Uf c . size as well as magnified-— accompanied by a detailed account of his style of carrying on, all done in large type, and by order of the Government of England. There is no excuse for anyone who fails to recognise a Colorado beetle, so that we may hope he has not much of a chance of establishing himself as a permanent cettler in these realms.

THE LATEST NEW BONNET

is a caution, it is an imitation of the German military helmet, without the spike the result being cunningly contrived by means of tulle, flowers, &c. I hear it is to be all the go, and it is certainly an Kinnzing contrast to the Duchess of Devonshire style, -which prevailed last year. The only vestige of a brim is to be found in the peak which affords a little shade to the eyes. Of course I need not say that to a pretty face everything and anything is becoming, but the woist of these fashions is that every woman persists in following them out to the utmost, regardless of her natural advantages or the opposite.

EARL BEACON SFIELD'S HEALTH

There hare been agigreat many rumours lately about Lord Bcaconsfield's health, and the probabilities of his resignation, but 1 don't belive there is anything at the bottom of them. We all know that at Ins age, and after his harding-working life, he must be comparatively feeble; but his soul is as big as ever, and until the Eastern question at any rate has been settled, his Lordship will never take his hand off the tiller. I am informed that the amount of work lie gets through is stupendous, and he receives enough dispatches in the course of each 24 hours to distract) any ordinary man. Nor must you suppose that his work is superficial. Every dispatch is read to him, and he dictates a vast number of his replies himself. I don't think the most rabid Radical would like to sec a change just at present. SCANDAL IN HIGH LIFE. In high life we have just had an awful scandal, in the elopement of the wife of Sir Charles Tempest with a Mr Hungerford. Sir Charles is a Roman Catholic, and resides in Lancashire. His first wife died 12 years ago, and atjLthe age of 45 he again married ;i Miss Gordon, aged 19, whose

j father was a captain in the 42nd HighI landers. She is a most lovely woman ; ; indeed, quite celebrated for her beauty, and ■ the middle-aged baronet did not satisfy her | ambition, or longings, or whatever yon ' please to call it, .so she has fled with a. much I younger man, a Protestant, to which "per- ! suasion she also belongs, the v Young j Lochnivar" being himself a married man. ! The most unhappy part of it is that Sir ' Charles, as a Romanist, cannot, according \ to his creed, sue for a divorce, which is very ! hard lines. Perhaps the worst feature in | the case is that another married lady in ; high Life was the chief aider and abettor of '•■ Lady Tempest in her adultery and-flight, ; and this fact having come to the knowledge |of her husband, for she boasted of her : share in it, he became so incensed that he j instituted steps for a separation. Here is j a peej) into a certain phase of fashionable , life which we will hope and believe is very ,' uncommon, although such folkas Bvadlaugn

and Co. would have us believe-that such things arc quite characteristic of the upper ten. The fact i.-s that it is one of the penalties of living within the charmed circle that every move of consequence is watched, and quickly becomes; public property ; whilst Tom, Dick, and Harry of the hoi polloi may swap "wives once a week if they like, all the year round, and no one over knows, nor if he 'locs, cares the value of an imprecation of a peripatetic pot mender. THE MILITARY FIRING ON THE RIOTERS IN PITTSBURGH ■ The first loss of life in connection with the strikes occurred at Pittsburg. Large mobs of strikers had assembled in the street which the military ordered to disperse. The order was not complied with. When the regiment was inarching to the armory a volley of stones and brickbats was thrown by the crowd. At the first volley three privates of Company I and F. were felled to the ground in a senseless condition, and were borne back into the armory amid a ■ shower of stones. Companies I and F then filed in Front-street, and headed south t«- ---| wards Baltimore-street. The assault by the ; crowd growing fiercer ,and Company B not yet being out of the armory, the former ■were halted to await the arrival of the latter. Colonel Peters and Major George at this time went to the head of their men endeavouring- to quell the riot, and restore order, the stones continuing to fall thick and fast. The men, without order!?, fired into the crowd, most of the guns being' elevated above their heads. By this volley, one man was killed, and several wounded. Col. Peters gave orders to cease firing, which was obeyed. Major Georgewas struck with two boulders on the breast and in the right leg, injuring him temporarily but nst seriously. An order was now given to march, and Companies I and Fproceeded along Front-street to Baltimore, into which they wheeled to the right. As they marched along Baltimore-street, -westward by Frederick,' Gtty, Holliday, Soirth and Caivert-streets, the storming was kept up unabated by the crowd, -which increased in number, and a number of pistol shots were 'fired at the men. Firing by the companies was re-commenced with stray shots, and continued at intervals until they reached Coleman and Itodgers' drug store.