ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 403, 31 January 1872, Page 7

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

The Rev. Dr. Gibson, Professor of Divinity and Church History in the Free Church College, Glasgow, died Nov. 2, at Glasgow. The rev. gentleman was attacked with paralysis about three weeks before, and he never recovered from the sudden stroke.

It may not be g-enerally known, says the ' Globe,' that Mr Gladstone is a pedestrian of no mean powers. We are assured that, when returning from his recent official residence at Balmoral Castle, he walked the distance from the Castle to Clova on foot (26 miles), resting for the ni^rlit at the village inn, and proceeding to Kirriemuir the next day, still in pedestrian fashion.

A literary phenomenon has arisen at Greenock, in the form of a policeman-poet. Mr Kenneth M'Lachlan, who was for many years a member of the police force in town, has in the press a volume of verses entitled "The Beauties of Scotland." Though self-taught, he is said to be a good classical scholar, as well as having pretensions to be a poet.

Mr Tallerman's successor at the stores in Norton Folgate inaugurated the comingseason of cheap dinners in a most happy manner. He gave a dinner to about 200 persons. The affair was a perfect success, and Mr Wackett promises to be a worthy successor to Mr Tallerman. We may add that the price of nearly every description of Australian produce, tallow, flax, gum, (fee, are advancing 1 , and there is every probability of the shipment of flour proving profitable. Australian butter is growing in favor, and New Zealand flax increases in value every day. The Leicester ram purchased out of the lot sold on account, of Lord Polwarth of Mertoun, for Llls, has teen shipped per the Somersetshire to Messrs Sandason, of Brie Brie, Victoria. Ten young- ewes and a three-year-old ram, their sire, have also been shipped by the same vessel to the same firm. The ram is one of forty, the pick of Miss Sark's flock, sold in Kelso in September at an average of L2B 15s each. Threats by a Home Rule Supporter. — A home rule demonstration was held on Sunday near Cork, at which two rliousand persons were present, including j representatives from Tipperary and Kerry. Resolutions were passed in favor of home rule; and the ch-.iinnan (a .Mr Johnson) called for three cheers for Kelly, the man now being* tried in Dublin lor murder. He spoke of Mr Butt as the leader of the people in the home rule movement, and went on to say that that gentleman was endeavoring 1 to wrest from the grasp of the tyrant a man whom God Almighty had sent upon the earth to rid it of a spj. They would use reason and logic in the attainment of their object ; but if logic failed they would resort to the sterner logic which history spoke of. A City banker, who in his time has seen many evolutions of the Overend-Gurney kind of business, informs me that the city is at present enjoying a peculiar exemption from speculative manoeuvres. Since 1860 the Banks have modified their system of advances on imported produce, so as ro avoid long running 1 accounts. Formerly such shipments as copper and indigo were consigned to large capitalists deep in the back-parlour confidence. The advances tbey obtained were carried on for months, or even years — the goods meanwhile being stored to wail a high market. The anomalous consequences arose of dear money and dear produce, which political economists hold to be an impossible occurrence The new Batik rate as to advances requires immedia:e realisation of the consignment on arrival. -The. .speculative importations which strangled Overend Guruey tfnd their biu- customers are things of the past. The. imports which were subjected to suoh manipulation have sustained a general decline, but they are now a= proverbial f.>r .sound tia.de as formerly they were for the ie verse. My banking informant believes that the speculative energy which has been excluded from ihose channels is now concentrated on bulling 1 and bearing*. Many classes of foreign and colonial bonds — to let alone rai Iway1 ways > which are a render topic — at present have recently been inflated without any assignable cause. la their direction financial weather prophets look for the next, panic. But the Banks profess to have corrected most of the errors which led to 1866,

No appointment has yet been wade to the directorship of the Geological Survey, vacant, by the death of Sir Roderick Murchison. The Bishop of Dunedin, the Right Rev. Samuel Tamitt Nevill, M. A., of Magdalene College, had the degree of doctor in divinity conferred upon him at a congregation held on the 26th Oct. The degree of doctor of divinity {Jure Bigmatatis) was also conferred upon him.

The Diamond Mines of South Africa have proved attractive to a good many of the Australian diggers resident in England. Several miners who made money in the Inglewood Reefs have already taken their departure, and others only await further intelligence to follow them. An old Victorian, Mr Thomas Breeze, late of Inglewood, an old friend Of the parties referred to, has favored us with the following particulars with reference to them : — "' Their first letter reported that they had been on the diamond fields about a fortnight, after a hard ride by post cart from Port Elizabeth, a journey of 500 miles, which they did in six days, travelling night and day. They first went to the Klip Drift diamond field, but there was a new rush thiry miles off, and they went to it and marked out a claim, but got a chance to buy into a claim in the middle of the hill or lead. They got a diamond of a. carat and a half the first morning, but had found nothing- since, but considered that nothing ; others were getting diamonds all around them. And with regard to diamond digging, as far as their experience went, ie was simply this. On the hill where they were working, plenty of men were making fortunes. It was dry diggings. All the stuff had to be dry sifted, the claims are easily worked, and their opinion and that of others was that every claim on the hill would pay handsomely for working. The country all round was diamendiferous, and not } r et worked. ' Dutvitspan ' was about two miles from them, and had 12,000 men there. Their opinion was that diamonddigging was much more profitable than gold-digging, if a man had capital to keep him twelve or eighteen months, and if he worked steadily he was bound to succeed. Wood and water were scarce ; they had to go a mile and a half for it and pay 3d per bucket, but they had then had rain, and could get it for nothing by going- to a dam the same distance off. The work was not so hard as gold -digging. r "he above account induced the second party to make a start, but another letter had arrived of later date from Whiteside, who sent bis wife a' small sum of money, reported the party to be in high spirits and likely to do well. They had also heard encouragingreports from others they knew. One little fallow had secured LSOO worth of diamonds."

The London Press on Mr Gladstone's SrEECH AT THE MANSION House. — The • Times ' adversely criticises Mr Gladstone's views on foreign politics expounded in his speech at the Lord Mayor's banquet on Thursday night. The omnipotence of good feeling was the theme upon which he expatiated; but the Times' contends that we cannot with a frank recognition of facts flatter ourselves thac the struggle of physical force is to be superseded by the influence of reciprocal good feeling. The ' Post ' also, recognising the advantages of our geographical position, thinks we should be wrong in assumingforce of circumstances had conferred upon us complete immunity from foreign aggression. The ' Telegraph ' justifies Mr Gladstone's expression that the day may be far off when the strife of peoples shall be settled by arbitration ; but such victories of peace us the Washington Treaty betokens that the day is coming Tiie 'Daily News' complains of Mr Gladstone's reference on the commercial treaty and on home ;tiT;i.irs, but his reception confirmed the impression of his reviving popularity and power.

Dreadful Mortality amongst Flint Millstone Workers.— A special correspondent of the ' Echo ' describes a visit he recently paid to an establishment where the manufacture of Hint millstones is carried on. The flint used, says the writer, is the hardest known, and is imported from France in small blocks, which are fashioned with the chisel and fitted to-g-ether, thus forming- the millstone. We turn to observe these workers of fiiat, and feel :i sudden pang to mark their prominent cheekbones and sunken cheeks, made hideous by the large spectacles worn to protect the eyes, which tell the fearful tale at once. The lungs of these young 1 men, for they are about twenty- five years of age, are choked with the dust, of flint and steel. '* How long- does one of these men live?" we ask. '• About thirty- two or thirty - three years," is the reply. " Here is one only about twenty-ei^ht or twenty-nine who won't live through this winter ; on foggy morning's he can't Come to work at all." The unfortunate subject of our conversation stops from his work to cough, his whole frame quivers and bends with the fearful strain, and we turn away, fearful that the man may fall and rise no more. Two or three are coming in from their dinner. One is a tall young fellow enough j but his' head hangs forward on his chest, his thin arms scarce show in thf sleeves of his coat, his coat hang's from his shoulders like a cloth across the back of a cl.air. uAh ! you're looking- at him ; he's a good steady- one enough — has his half day or so ' out' now and then, but a good workman as ever stepped, and as well behaved ; but his time's nearly come — he can't last." And so on, from bench to bench. Now, it will be asked, what induces men to commit this gradual suicide I—for none escape. Here is the secret. A fair workman at the " building" makes L 3 10s a week. For this a man is content to forego half a lifetime ! and to wear away in such a manner as to cause the reflection that death itself will not change his appearance, so death like is he !

| The Local Board of Health, under the extraordinary responsibility put upon them by the spread of small-pox and fever, have li ad recourse to various sites and premises for the purpose of a temporary Hospi'al-, having been repeatedly defeated by petition's and interdics "from those resident in the localities. The Dean of Guild (an old Volunteer), who had been appointed to act along with Mr Mackay, the Sanitary Convener, conceived the idea of applying for the Drill Hall. No soooer had this matter been brought to the notice of Mr G. LI. Alison, the Convener of the trustees of the hall, than he immediately called a meeting of the trustees and commissioned officers of the force to consider the applic ition. On being apprised of the urgent nature of the case, the meeting, which, consisted of Colonels Anderson, Guthrie-, and Sandeman, Captains Walker, Guild, and M 'Donald, with Adjutant Falconer, at once unanimously and generously agreed to give the temporary use of the hall, and appointed a Committee of their number ro confer with the Provosr, Dean of Guild, and Mr Mackay to arrange for immediate possession. — ' Dundee Advertised'

Scene in a Dundee Church.— There was a scene in one of the churches in town this morning 1 . The minister had just ascended to the pulpit and was preparing- to give out the first Psalm when a man in the centre of the church stood uji and muttered somHiliing in the form of a prayer. The sensation which this created may easily be imagined. All the congregation were ins r antly on their feet to get a

glimpse of the interupter, while those neai* him tr;ed to imiu c him to resume his seat. Instead of having the desired effect, however, this rather tended to irritate him and the more they coaxed him the more violent he became. This went on for some time, until the minister, douce man, could stand it no longer and ordered him to be taken out. No sooner was this order given than a regiment of elders, managers, and other officials, headed by the beadle, mustered in the lobby and prepared to put it into effect. The disturber Of the peace was at the top of a seat, and thinkingpossibly that disposition made him secure against any attempt on the part of the officers of the church he assumed a defiant attitude, denounced them as blasphemors, hypocrites, and heathens, deplored that the house of God should have come to such a pass, and entreated that the wick< A might see the error of their wwars.} r s. Oiie ot the elders: being evident.lv of opinion rhab they had got quite enough ot that fort of thing, asked the other occupant- to ieav'a the seat, and then politely, dut firmly, requested the noisy " brother " io leave the church. Not he ! lie had come there to enlighten their b«nighted nnderstanditigS) and enlightened lie was d'ereniiinefl tb^y should be if noise and gesticulation could do it. The elder then seized him by the

collar of the coat and pulled him out. After getting him to the end of the seat the other elders and brethren lent a helping- hand} and ultimately they got him to the door. The people resumed their seats> the minister asked clvm to compose themselves, and the services were proceeded with. Sir Roderick Murchison died on Oct. 20, at his residence in Belgrave-squnre. He had been tolerably well until Oct. 19,. when he caught a cold, from the effects of which he never recovered. Sir Roderick was burn at Tamuiale, in Ross-shire^ on Feb. 19, 1792. He was therefore nearly eighty years of age. Having 1 pursued his studies fora few months at the University of Edinburgh, lie obtained ii commission in the army in 1807, and, joining his regiment the folio ivinii' year, served in the 86th Foor, wirh the army in Spain and Portugal nmier L>;d Wellington^ afterwards on the sti-tf ot his mule General Sir Alexander .Mackenzie, and las'ly as captiiin in the (s'h Dragoons. He took an active part in several of the most important battles in the war, and e.iroed the reputation of a brave and able officer. He* began his geological researches systematically about the year 1830, and in 1849 be" received the Copley medal from the Royal Society, in recognition of his having 1 established the Silurian system in geology. His best known work — " Silui-ia ; Or the History of the oldest known Rocks containing Organic Remains^ with a Brief Sketch of the Distribution of Gold over the Earth '' — was published in 1854. Sir Roderick, having acred lor five years as secretary of the Geological Societ.v, became president of that body in 1831-82, and again in 1842-43 In 1844 he was elected president of ttie Royal Geographical Society, was re-elected in the following year, and agi.iu in 1852 and 1856 Ha has held the presidental chair of that society down almost to the preseut time, having been .succeeded only a few months ago by Sir Henry Rawlin>on. In 1546 Mr Mtirchison was knigbt j ri by Her .Majesty, the Emperor Nicholas having previously conftrred upon him .several Russian orders^ 'Deluding thar of St. Stanislaus. For Sir Roderick Miirchison must be claimed the. credit of having- inferred the presence of gold in the AM>tralia:i mountain ranges, from the •.inalouy which their formation bore to ihe Uml Mountains; with the physical outlines of which he ha-l m=ide himself familiar. He wa< one of the »tg up of' scientific men who established the British Association. In 1863 Sir Roderick Mnrchisou was nominated a Knight Comin inder of the Order of the Bah (Civil Division). He was created a barone in January, I8(i6. Sir Roderick Murohisi.n married, in 1815, Charlotte, oniy daughter of the late General Francis Hugonin. As he had no issue by his marriage* the baronetcy becomes extinct <>y liis death. The funeral of the deceased baronet takes place to-day, Oct. 27, at the Brompton Cemetery. The invitations have necessarily been limited to his relations and executors and to representatives of those learned bodies wifh which he hadbeen more immediately associated.