MAIL NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4252, 5 November 1874, Page 3

MAIL NOTES.

ENGLISH. Temple Bar now has to bo propped up ; so it will be formally taken away from its present position, where it is an obstruction to traffic, and re-erected as an entrance to the new law courts near by. The action of the Home Kule members in the matter of the Irish Fisheries has not been altogether "without result. In the last days of the session, a Bill, the Irish Reproductive Loan Fund Bill, was passed through Parliament, which "will bring, at all events, some measure of assistance to struggling Irish fishermen. A fund of some £20,000 will he lent out to them for the purchase or repair of nets, boats, and other fishing gear. A commercial traveller named Barclay has committed suicide at Blackburn. For some time he had been in a desponding state of mind, in consequence of his wife having eloped from him. She had lately been tried for murdering her child in Liverpool, but was acquitted on a technical objection. An Act of Parliament has just been printed to render “personation" a felony, and no doubt resulted from the trial of the Tichborne Claimant. It is new enacted that if any person shall falsely and deceitfully personate any person, or the heir, executor, or administrator, wife, widow, next of kin, or relation of any person, with intent fraudulently to obtain any land, estate, chattel, money, valuable security, or property, > ho shall be guilty of felony* and liable to penal servitude for life, or to not less than five years, or to imprisonment not exceeding two years with or without hard labor, and with or without solitary confinement. The offence is not to be tried at the quarter sessions. St. Giles’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, was struck by lightning on August Bth. One of the turrets in the crown was knocked off, and in its fall knocked off another of them. During the same storm hailstones an inch square fell, and the hail covered the ground at Newington to a depth of three inches for several hours. The high price of coal has been telling with very marked effect upon the building of steamers on the Clyde. For three or four years previous to this year the building of sailing vessels had fallen off greatly, and the building of steamers had proportionately increased. During the first seven months and a half of 1874, however, the sailing vessels launched have reached an aggregate tonnage four times greater than that of those launched during the same period in the three preceding years. At the same time the tonnage of the steamers launched shows a decrease—no less than 40,000 tons. Mr. H. M. Stanley has left on his Zanzibar expedition. It is said that he will eventually have as many as 800 men at his disposal to carry out its objects. ' He has had two portable steel boats built in this country specially for river service. It is said that Mr. Stanley regards the expedition on which he is now entering, as one attended with great personal danger. One of the members of the expedition is a magnificent dog, presented to Stanley by Lady Burdett Courts, and said to be worth £SOO. A startling incident happened at the Wells assizes. A woman named Grant was condemned to death for the murder of her illegitimate child, and heard sentence passed upon her with seeming impassability. On leaving the Court, however, she fell down in a swoon, from which she could not be recovered for several hours. When consciousness returned, she was found to have lost her reason. She has been reprieved in consequence. The Marquis of Bute is endeavoring to acclimatise the heaver in the island from which he takes his title. He has imported four beavers, and had them placed in “ a very substantial and costly structure,” which he has had erected for them on Drumriach Moor. The Corporation of the City of London is becoming very rich. Its accounts for the h>st financial year show that its revenue amounted to £438,600, while it has a cash balance in the bank of £640,000. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham reproved a priest the other day for walking with a woman on his arm, and her hand in his. The priest asked the bishop to whom he was talking. “ I am the Bishop of Nottingham,” said his lordship. “But we have no such bishop in the English Church,” replied the priest. “ Oh !” exclaimed the bishop, “ then you belong to the English Church. I am de-. lighted to hear it, and I beg your pardon with all my life ; but I wish you would not walk about in our uniform.” For attempting to murder an old woman whom he suspected of having bewitched himself and his pigs, a man named Levi Abbott, of Garsdale, has been sentenced at the Leeds Assizes to five years’ penal servitude. The usual supply of water to a portion of the town of Birkenhead was recently stopped, in consequence of a man named Riokson having fallen down the boro-hole. When the body was recovered, the supply was resumed. At Newport, on the 17th of August, there was a fatal boiler explosion on board the Rescue, a towing-steamer for the ports in the Bristol Channel. She was towing a barque—the Mabel —down the river Usk, when one of her boilers burst, and shattered the whole of the stem to pieces. Two men, named Pitman and Crowley, were killed, and three others severely injured. The steamer sank two minutes after the explosion. The bodies of the two men killed had not been found. At the Bristol assizes on August 12, Mr. Broad, a gentleman living at Falmouth, brought an action against Dr. Lyle, the medical superintendent of a lunatic asylum near Exeter, to recover damages for injuries sustained through the alleged negligence of the defendant. The plaintiff went mad through being “ crossed in a love affair,” and was confined in the defendant's asylum. While there he jumped out of a window, the shock brought on paralysis, and he had utterly lost the use of his legs. One singular feature of the case was that immediately after the accident the young man recovered his reason, and had been perfectly sane from that moment. The medical witnesses said that he would never be able to walk. Mr. Justice Brett held that there was no evidence of negligence for which defendant was legally responsible, and the plaintiff was nonsuited. A 23-ton gun—“Woolwich infant"—intended for the armament of a fort at Queenstown, while being conveyed between two barges from Haulbowline to Carlyle Fort, slipped from the hawsers and fell into the harbor, a depth of 36ft. It is intended to try and raise it by means of air vessels. In a biograpliical notice of the late Bishop Sumner, The Times gives the following account of an important event in his life :—“ Almost immediately after taking his degree Charles Sumner travelled abroad with the present Marquis of Oonyngham, as his private tutor ; and it is said that it was an act of sound discretion in this capacity which placed him on the first step of the ladder of clerical promotion. His pupil became attached to a beautiful Swiss lady, whose youthful charms were not coupled with the advantages of great wealth or high rank. The tutor communicated the fact to Lord and Lady Conyngham, who had more ambitious views for their son, and who promised him that if ho would only solve the difficulty by marrying the young lady himself, his future interests should not lie disregarded or forgotten. Such promises arc often made only to be broken ; but when tho tutor married the lady in question, the gratitude of Lord and Lady. Conyngham did not end in mere words. He was introduced by them at court; the Prince Regent appointed him one of his chaplains, and afterwards, on coming to the throne, gave him a post in his household as librarian and historiographer, to which post were added in succession the incumbency of one of the churches in Abingdon and a canonry in Worcester and Canterbury Cathedrals,” A family named Hulrne, consisting of husband, wife, and infant child, residing at Crewe, went to bed as usual. During the night the husband raised himself and gave the feeding bottle to tho child, and then incautiously fell asleep, leaving tho candle burning on the bod. Shortly after ho was roused by the screams of his wife, who shouted that the house was on fire. He immediately jumped out of bed, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames, but to his horror, on looking round, he found both wife and infant dead in the bed. The latter

was fearfully burned, but the former had not a soar upon her. The inference is that the fright, acting oil a constitution weakened by dropsy, caused her death. Tho bronze medallion of the Royal Humane Society has beeu unanimously voted to Hugh McGregor, a boy of twelve years of age, for saving Donald Brown, who fell into the River Murray, Victoria, Australia, in 20ft. of water. It is feared that in the late rough and foggy weather a large ship—the Atlantic, of Liverpool, belonging to Messrs. Johnson and Co., of Liverpool —must have been lost, with all her crew of twenty persons. Large of wreckage have come ashore off Bude, including the name-board of the Atlantic and her official number. The London correspondent of the Western Mominy Neivs states that a Royal residence in Ireland has been determined upon, and that Mr. Disi'aeli’s visit in October is to inspect two or three places that have been recommended as sites. Three lives were lost on the Thames on Sunday evening, 16th August. About eight o'clock a boat containing eight excursionists, living at Greenwich, was swamped near London Bridge by the “wash” from three passing steamers, and two of the party were drowned. Between six and seven o’clock a young man named George W. Jeffrey, of Stratford, while paddling a canoe off the Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, was turned over into the river and drowned within a few yards of the shore, in the presence of a number of watermen and others. Some of these are known as good divers and swimmers, yet they never ventured into the water. The Queen has been joined in the Highlands by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who on their arrival at Balmoral had “ a right loyal Highland welcome.” Ballater station was gaily decorated, and among those who were admitted to the platform to welcome their Royal Highnesses were Sir Andrew Lusk, the Lady Mayoress, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, and Colonel Maude. The Queen drove up in a close carriage to the station entrance, and on the platform Her Majesty embraced the Duchess. Her Majesty was present at the Braemar gathering on the 27th September. The Lord Mayor of London and the Lady Mayoress have visited Balmoral, and had an audience of Her Majesty. A most shocking crime was committed at Newcastle-on-Tyne by a woman of the name of Rebecca Lewis, the wife of a shoemaker named Levi Lewis, carrying on business in tbe east end of the town. Both man and wife, who belong to the Hebrew persuasion, were sitting in the house, when she jumped up, seized her husband by the head, snatched up a table knife, and cut his throat. A terrible struggle ensued. The man got away and ran to the infirmary. Immediately after his leaving the house, Rebecca,! with the blood-stained knife in her hand, rushed into a neighbor’s named Raven. Mrs. Raven and her two children, the younger a baby of three months old, were at home, and before them Mrs. Lewis attempted to commit suicide. The mother fled in horror, and then a shocking crime was committed, for on Mrs. Raven’s return with the police, the two infants were lying bathed in blood, with their throats cut, and Mrs. Lewis on the floor beside them, bleeding from some frightful gashes in her neck and throat. After having her wounds dressed she tore off the bandage and attempted to stab herself with a fork. She was too weak to be removed. A mineral train on the Ehymuey railway ran.into another at Bargoed station. The first train consisted of forty-one trucks from Dowlais iron works, and in descending the incline to Bargoed, overcame the brakes, and darted into the station at the rate of fifty miles an hour. Another train of minerals was standing therein. The collision was frightful. The two engines rolled down an embankment of 40ft., carrying with them a number of trucks. The driver and fireman of the first train went over with them, and when their bodies were found they were literally cut to pieces—arms in one place, legs in another. Thirty-five of the trucks were smashed. The line was tom up for 100 yards, and the traffic was stopped on the Brecon and Newport line, which runs over the Rhymney railway. The guard of the first train, seeing his danger, got over the side of the brake van and uncoupled it from tbe others as it was coming down the incline. The cause of the accident is said by the guard and brakesman, both of whom are severely injured, to be owing to the driver starting from Deri at too great a speed—the incline from Deri to Bargoed being 1 in 40, and the distance three miles. ANOTHER PRINCE OP WALES. It is rather startling, is it not, to hear that the “Prince of Wales was married on the 15th of last month to Lady Alice Hay, a daughter of the late Earl of Errol, at the Roman Catholic Church in Spanish Place, London ?” Such however, is the fact. And yet tho husband of Alexandra, “ Sea King's Daughter from Over the Sea,” has not committed bigamy. The Prince of Wales, who has just wedded a Scottish lady of old cavalier and Jacobin blood, is the wrong “ Prince of Wales.” 'He is commonly known as “ Colonel Count Charles Edward d’Albany, the only son of Count Charles Edward Stuart of Anna, daughter of the Right Hon. John de la Peer Beresford, and niece of the first Marquis of Waterford.” When tho right Prince of Wales last year went to the Vienna Exhibition, he had the pleasure of seeing this great-grand-nephew, or whatever he may be, of the Pretenders of the last century figuring in a Highland dress among the officers of the Austrian army. It is rather doubtful after all whether tbe “ Count Charles Edward” is so nearly the direct representative of the royal Stuarts as to deserve even in that way the complimentary title of the wrong “ Prince of Wales.” As a matter of fact we believe the direct heir of the English crown in the Stuart line to-day is Francis V., ex Duke of Modena, “ by right divine” Francis I. of Great Britain and Ireland, King. But tho Count is conceded to be a Stuart, and his reappearance in England to marry a Scottish noblewoman is at least a curious incident of the day worth bringing to the notice of the lovers of historical romance.— N. Y. World. FOREIGN. “The news just received from Germany seems to promise,” says the Pall Mall Gazette, “that the comet of 1874 will leave behind it in the wine countries a pleasant memorial of its visit. Mr. B. Archer Burton, writing from Ehrenbreitstein, states that the vintage in til?, Rhine and Moselle districts, especially highest classes of wines are produced, is likely to compensate for the disastrous years of 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, and 1873. In the favored spot known as the Rheingau no such quantity has been recorded since the celebrated comet year of 1811. At one time it was apprehended that the early May frosts had, as in former years, committed much damage among the vines; but these fears have long been dispelled, and there is now, we learn, tho fairest promise that the vintage of 1874 will be an exceptionally grand one both in quantity and quality.” A religious pilgrimage is to take place in Bohemia. Tho procession will start from Prague, and proceed to Alt-Bnnzlnu, under tho guidance of Mgr. Stulc. Tho political leaders of the Czechs, MM. Rieger, and Palacky, will join in tho procession, wearing the penitent pilgrim’s garb. The celebrated Father Augustin Theiner, of the Order of Jesus, died at tho Vatican, on the 10th August. After being many years Prefect of tho Secret Archives of the Papal See, he lost the Pope’s favor by tho literary help which he gave to the opposition Bishops during the Vatican Council. Ho was sixtynine years of age, and was at tho time of his death occupied in writing a history of the Council of Trent. • Tho Municipality of Vienna lias, by advice of tho Board of Health of tho city, decided that tho cremation of the dead should bo immediately earned into operation on tho same plan which has been completely successful at Leipzig. As the annual mortality of Vienna amounts to about 20,000, the public authorities reckon on making a great saving, as well as a considerable benefit to the public health. Another fatality to a balloonist is reported. M. Braquct, the aeronaut of Bordeaux, was

about to make his 831st ascension on 10th August, at Royan (Oharente-Inf&rieure), when by some accident the order to “ let go” was given too soon. The balloon in rising came in contact with a ladder, and the jerk dislodged Braquet, who was seated on his trapeze. He, however, caught the salvage rope, and by almost superhuman efforts had nearly gained the car when the cord broke. He fell from a .height of 300 yards, and the.unfortunate man was seen turning over and over in his descent, amidst the cries and shrieks of the terrified spectators. The body ..was horribly shattered when it was picked up, and life was of course extinct. AMERICA. Business continues very dull in the United States, writes the American correspondent of the Melbourne Argus. There is a certainty of a heavy crop of wheat and other grain, but a combination of speculators has forced the price so low that it is not coming forward save very slowly. The estimate of the agricultural bureau of the federal Government is, that there have been 2,000,000 acres of land added to the grain growing area within the past twelvemonth, and that the crop over the whole area will be above the average. The grasshoppers have destroyed a good deal of grain in two of the north-western states, but not enough to alter the general estimate materially. Cotton cannot yet be calculated, owing to recent changes in the weather, and to considerable local disturbances, but the impression among dealers is in favor of an average crop. This commodity has also been unmercifully “ beared,” and planters are withholding it in consequence. New York, as the centre of export and import, feels' the effect of the stagnation deeply, and there is a good deal of real commercial distress in a quiet way, though no signs of a general breakdown. In manufactures, that of cotton is prosperous j that of wool is stationary ; that of iron is badly crippled by the panic of last year ; that of agricultural implements is disturbed by the farmers’ movement in favor of combinations to purchase at cost; and miscellaneous manufactures are slow. Coal is controlled by a combination, and is moderate in price, and easily steadied—a fact advantageous to the ultimate revival of trade. A play, entitled “Passion's Perils,” has been withdrawn from the Boston stage, on a hint from the authorities. The play was founded on what is called the “ BeecherTilton Scandal,” and was considered immoral by the City Fathers.