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Evening Star, Issue 7363, 8 November 1887, Page 3

Mr Joseph Chamberlain, in addressing his constituents at the Birmingham Town Hall on September 29, justified his acceptance of an important mission from, the Government, and denied that he had sought the appointment for the purpose of escaping the responsibility or obligation of explaining his views at the present critical stage in the domestic history of the country. Referring to the Irish question, he remarked upon the absence of any information from Mr Gladstone as to his proposals, and stated that of the five millions of people in Ireland the majority believed that Home Rule would be disastrous, as there was no unanimity on the subject. Parliament should now devote time to subjects on which there should be general agreement, such as religious equality and economy in the Public Service. He expressed his belief that the Government had been justified in taking the steps they had done in reference to Ireland.

The following extract is from an American paper, and must probably be taken cum grano sails:— " Most everyone, at some time or other, has observed the peculiar purr of a cat. K. W. Scott, of Bishop's Creek, is the proud possessor of a cat that is an artist in this respect, as it mqre than purrs-Tit sings. This may appear too strange for belief 5 but in the face of the fact that several of our moat prominent citizens, all gentlemen of undoubted veracity, vouch for the truthfulness of the story, it must be believed. Mr Scott has in his establishment a very fine music box, andthecat has been noticed listening to its strains for hours, at a time. One evening recently the feline prima donna poured forth, in a rich and clear contralto, the melody of the ' Grand Duchess.' To say that her owner was astonished would be putting it mildly. He immediately called in several of his neighbors to listen to the wonder, but it was love's labor lost, for the music stopped. A few evenings later she again poured forth her liquid notes, this time rendering, in fine style, ' Listen to the Mocking Bird.' Several gentlemen fortunately were present, and listened with surprise and delight to perhaps the greatest wonder of the age. Many times during the past week the song-cat has tuned herself to the sweetest melody, and each time to the delight of interested hearers. Her owner is justly proud of her, and of course values her highly. He is endeavoring to train her to sing whatever he desires, and if successful will probably visit the principal places of the coast."

Information from various capitals, corroborating what can be gathered in Paris, shows, according to 'The Times' Paris correspondent, that the Suez Canal neutralisation negotiations are i» good tram, and will shortly cpme to a conclusion. Asked by 'The Times" correspondent for an explanation of how the negotiations stand, a leading French statesman replied j—" We saw that it was a question of neutralising a strip of territory, for the idea of neutralising all Egypt-Ottoman territory, sanctioned by a bng exercise of Turkish rights and nationality—could not occur to anybody. It was a question of neutralising on both sides of the canal, whioh has already a considerable zone attached to it, a Btrip surhcient to insure that the canal was really neutralised, and we thought that, the principle admitted, a technical commission would speedily satisfy the most reduoed limits and those best realising the intentions of the Powers. It now remains to settle the organisation and employment of the armed force which is to be at the disposal of the commission, and guarantee and protect the neutrality of the canal. This is certainly a knotty point, but I believe it will be speedily settled, for the measures already agreed to plainly necessitate the creation of a military i force which will not exceed. 2,000 men, and will be a neutral corps of an international character, like the commission and like the canal itself. The formation and aotion of this force will not, J am convinced, h'J loug or difficult to settle. Of course we are discussing and agreeing to nothing, except subject to the eventual agreement of the Powers."

At length Mr Justice Hawkins has married Miss Roynolds, of No. 8, Seymour place, Mayfair. About twenty years ago the fortunate bride was an actress of little import at the Haymarket Theatre. Miss Reynolds, or Lady Hawkins, as she is now, is a Roman Catholic, aged about sixty, and the interesting couple have gone on the Continent for their honeymoon,