NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume V, Issue 112, 23 June 1866, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

[Extracted from the Home Ifews,} Nearly 300 convicts were shipped recently from Portland for Western Australia. Roupell was one of them, but, for some reason or other, he was relanded, and was not sent off. An American paper states that the spiritualists ot Cincinnatti have invoked the spirit of the Late Lord Palmerston, and that it has declared itself strongly m favour of the Fenian movement ! The Clerk of the Council has addressed | a circular to the local authorities at the outports of great Britain and Ireland informing them that inasmuch as cholera has broken out at Rotterdam it will be well to take such precautions as were indicated m communications addressed from the Council Office last summer when the disease appeared m the Levant. Mr Helps expresses a hope that means will be provided for the treatment of any persons who, arriving m this country, may be infected with cholera. The Marquis de Boissy has given another proof of the intensity of his hatred of England. He has given a grand banquet to Mr Head-centre Stephens. Mr Charles Dickens has re-commenced | his " readings" m London at St. James's Hall, and a great intellectual treat is again brought within the reach of the public. He has added " Dr. Marigold" to his list, and acts rather than reaas the humorous and pathetic character and story with a power equal to that of the late Mr Robson. His first reading at St. James's Hall crowded the great room from platform to ceiling, — a gratifying proof or his wellearned popularity. The launch of the Northumberland was effected on April 17 with perfect success. At 3 o'clock the lightening power employed had raised the vessel 16 inches at the stern and 1 inch at the bows; the dog-shores were knocked away, and she floated grandly out into the river, the current wringing her round into midchannel off Deptfbrd, where she now lies moored. Not a single accident happened m the operations. The rinderpest has appeared m Cadzon Forest, among the famous breed of wild cattle belonging to the Duke of Hamilton. The Duke, with a view to preserve his valuable herd of Ayrshires, has put them down m his coal-pits,, where they are enjoying complete immunity from the plague, though it is raging above. It is stated that a matrimonial alliance is arranged to take place between her Royal Highness Princess Mary, youngest daughter of the late Duke of Cambridge, and his Highness Prince Teck, of Austria. Prince Teck is at present staying at the Cottage, Kew, on a visit to the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary. A few mornings- ago, a man, supposed to be a German, named William Vellens, about 50 years of age, was found to have

committed suicide m the kitchen of an hotel m Bouverie-street, Fleet-street, under very singular circumstances. The deceased, who is described as being a man of a gloomy and morose disposition, seldom speaking for months together, took a great deal of pains to put fin end to his existence. He was discovered lying on his back on a form, the head being nearly severed by an axe. The handle of the axe was screwed to one of the bedposts, so that it might be held firm ; the bed was drawn close up to a cupbqarddoor, on the top of which a roller had been placed, and to the end of a rope some 4 feet long the deceased had tied a large stone weighing about 901 b. Having drawn up the stone to the top of the door, so as to give it a fall of 4 feet, he had so arranged matters that the stone was placed exactly over the head of the axe. The deceased must have have laid down on the form, placed his neck under the edge of the axe, and cut the rope by which the stone was suspended with a razor. The stone fell upon the head of the axe, and, as before stated, nearely severed the head from the body. At the inquest, evidence was given as to the habits of tie deceased, and the jury, after a long deliberation returned a verdict, " That the deceased killed himself while m a state of sound mind," which, the coronor said, of course was equivaleut to t felo de se. Mrs (Longworth) Yelverton, whose misfortunes and adventures have excited the sympathy of many, and the curiosity of more, made her first appearance m London as a reader on the night of April 6 at the Hanover-square Rooms, before a large and fashionable audience. Her selections — taken entirely from Tennj'son and Longfellow — comprised " Locksley Hall," "The May Queen," "Lady Clara Vere de Vere," " Excelsior," and passages from " Hiawatha." All those parts of the poems which bore, or appeared to bear^ upon the case of the reader, were vehemently applauded. Mrs Yelverton's qualifications for an elocutionist are said to be a pleasing voice and a very expressive face* Most persons who saw her for the first time on this occasion were probably agreeably surprised by her handsome appearance. The returns of the revenue just published give an account of the financial condition of the country, not only for the quarter ending 31st of March, but for the yean There is a net decrease on the quarter of £1,384,180, of which. £1,213,000 is due to the reduction of the income-tax, £431,000 to that of the tea duty, and £76,000 principally to that upon fire insurances. The increase upon the quarter is derived from three . sources only — Excise, £139,000 ; Crown Lands, £6,000 ; and Miscellaneous, £204,000. The net decrease of revenue on the year produced chiefly by reductions of taxation is £2,501,144 ; but the actual receipts from the more important branches of revenue are more than Mr Gladstone estimated m his bndget speech of last year. Of course the remissions of duty made last year will extend into the year 1866-67, and theif full effect upon the revenue has not, therefore, A r et been experienced. Obituary. — Gordon Camming, Countess Dowager of Meath, Samuel Houldsworth, Lady Trench, Lady Atherton, George Rennie (Civil Engineer), Rev. J. Keble, Mr Fairholt, General F. Campbell; The Right Rev. Dr. H. Griffin, Sir J. A/ Douglas, Professor Dick, Lord Clinton, Dr. Babington, Dr. Hodgkin, Lady F« Tremayne, Sir Hesketh Fleetwood, Lady Ponsonb}', Mr Henry Hoare, Countess of Ellesmere, Hon. Robert Craven, SirD'Arcy W. Legard, Mrs Carlyle, and Sir G. L. M. Parker.