NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 488, 9 December 1869, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

* -*•> The Hon. R. Lowe, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is frequently to be seen practising on a bicycle near his residence at Warlingham. Dr Lyon Playfair is spoken of as being likely to succeed to the Mastership of the Mint. This appointment would occasion a vacancy in the representation of the Universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews. The Serpentine is to be levelled to a uniform depth of sft 6in. The bottom is to be covered with a layer of concrete. The works, it is hoped, will be completed early in the coming year. It is stated that the Bishop of Lichfield is improving in health. His Lordship is staying at Whitby, and the bracing air seems to have a beneficial effect upon him. He is now able to take walks in addition to carriage drives. When the Duke of Edinburgh was leaving the Sandwich Islands for Japan, he was surrounded by native women bearing wreaths, which they hung about his neck and placed upon his head in such profusion that he was almost smothered in flowers. ' The telegraph cable between Caithness and Orkney was successfully laid in the Pentland Firth on Sept. 13. The distance across the Firth is eight miles, and the time occupied was only two hours and a half. The ladies are progressing in America in more ways than one. At Dorchester, Massachusetts, a Miss Katie Murphy won 300 dols. at a jumping match, having jumped 11 feet 2£ inches, to 10 feet 9 inches leaped by a young man named Michael Flynn. On Friday morning, Sept. 17, the workmen employed at the powder-mills of Messrs Curtis and Harvey, at Hounslow, were examined as they came on the premises, and no fewer than 58 of them were suspended for having pipes and lucifers in their possession. Very serious rumours are afloat as to the condition of the Emperor of Russia. Mental alienation, melancholy madness, is attributed to him. His Majesty is said to seclude himself for days together, refusing to see any one whatever. The hitch between English cricketers and the agent employed to engage them for a trip to Australia is likely to be adjusted, and the following professionals will form the "eleven":— J. C. Shaw, A. Shaw, J. Oscroft, F. Silcock, Willsher, Marten, Jupp. Pooley, Humphrey, Griffiths, and Southerton. The voyage will be made early in October. The Marquis of Bute signified his intention to celebrate his approaching birthday by paying the whole of the remainiog debt on the Cardiff Infirmary; and his agent wrote to the treasurer of the institution to know the exact amount, that he might send a cheque for its discharge at once. The secretary was not slow to inform the Marquis that the debt was £812. A cheque for £1000 was immediately sent. ■ An important experiment is about to be tried at the South Kensington Museum to promote the instruction of women in science. Professors Huxley, Guthrie, and Oliver are about to commence a course of lectures on natu^l science, beginning in November. The fees "will not exceed a shilling a lecture, with voluntary examinations, and the • terms will even be lower to schools and governesses. The Duke of Edinburgh is now talked of as a "likely young man " for the throne of Spain. Gil Bias— the Punch of Madridrepresents Senor Olozaga leading our sailor Prince forward, and pointing out to him the empty throne, over which, after the story of Damocles, there is a sword suspended by a hair. The Prince is in the attitude of eyeing it through a glas*, and remarking, " Yes, it I is very pretty; but, for my part, I don't like upholstery with such hangings ! " j The Bishop of Edinburgh (> r Terrott) has resigned the see. The election of his suc- | cessor must take place within five weeks. It is understood that the Hight Rev Dr Mor-

roll, who bas during the last few years acted as bishop coadjutor, will not accept the see, and the names of several gentlemen.'. are mentioned as likely to be invited to preside over the diocese — amongst others, the Very Rev E. B. Knottesford-Fortescue, M.A., Provost of St Ninian's, Perth ; the Rev J. G. Cazenove, Principal of the Cambray College ; and the Rev Dr Irons, Vicar of Brompton. Messrs John M'Call and Co., preserved provision merchants, have stopped payment. Their liabilities are estimated at about £50,000, but no information has yet transpired with regard to the probable result of the liquidation. It is presumed that losses have been made upon Australian meat, of which the firm were large importers, as well as in connection with the " People's Market " in the Whitechapel Road, which was established by the partners, but closed some time *go. s^A missionary, who landed at Falmouth on Wednesday, Oct. 6, from Zanzibar, brings important intelligence concerning the safety of Dr Livingstone. He states that letters had been received at Zanzibar by Dr Kirk from the great traveller himself, dated Lake Tanganika, February, 1869. At that time Dr Livingstone was well, but short of provisions. He had been deserted by all the Europeans who had accompanied him, and was tben living on rice and fruits supplied by Arabs. The explosion of petroleum in a lighter at Bordeaux on the 28th of September, caused the destruction of nearly twenty ships that were lying at the wharves. The lighter was drifted by the flood tide among the shipping, and, unfortunately, the authorities attempted to extinguish the flames by submerging the boat. The consequence of this was that large patches of burning oil floated on the water, and being carried by the rising tide, set Are to many distant vessels that otherwise would have been safe. The extent of the damage iarestimated at ten millions of francs. SuOtago will, in all probability, soon receive "some valuable additions to its feathered and four-footed population. Mr John Ewen (of Sargood and Co.) has been busily engaged collecting thrushes, blackbirds, starlings, goldfinches, partridges, pheasants, and hare?, for shipment by the Warrior Queen, sailing on the 30th inst. The Earl of Dalhousie has promised a present of game, including red deer, to the Acclimatization Society of Otago, and Mr Ewen hopes to have the whole shipped together by the end of the month. X An exciting scene occurred in the parish cnurch at Ledbury during the morning service, on October 3rd. The rector, the Rev John Jackson, was about concluding his sermon, when a young woman, bearing a child in her arms, noiselessly entered the church, followed by her mother; and, walking round to the top of the middle aisle, faced the congregation. Here she held up the child, and in distinct terms informed them " It was Mr Jackson's." It is authoritivcly stated that legal proceedings will be at once commenced against her. The young woman's name is Elizabeth Parry, and some twelve months ago she was in service as cook at the rectory, where she was confined. On Friday, Sept. 24, the new Bishop of Auckland, tbe Rev W. G. Cowie, late rector of St Mary's, Stafford, was presented with a testimonial, value £50, by his late parishioners. The bishop, in accepting the gift, said that in New Zealand the Church was entirely disconnected with the State. He could not say he regretted this, and if he lived ten years no doubt he should see the same thing in England. He did not wish to see the day hurried when that disconnection would take place, but it would be the State tbat would lose by the severance of the union, and not tbe Church, which would still be maintained by Christ, its master. They might, therefore, look forward to the disestablishment of the English Church without any dismay, as long as the Church was true to itself. A despatch of Earl Granville to the Governor of Queensland on the subject of the immigration of tbe Polynesian islanders has been published. It has recently been made only too apparent that this immigration was carried on upon a system having many of the features of the slave trade. Earl Granville calls the Governor's serious and immediate attention to the matter as one not merely affecting Queensland, but touching the honour of the British name, and one in which her Majesty's Government " feel the deepest interest." The Governor is urged to use his utmost influence to protect the immigrants so that they shall not be at the mercy of those about them. The demands of the Australian and Indian trades have become so extensive, and the forthcoming opening of the Suez canal being likely to do away with the use of sailing vessels to a very considerable extent, some of the enterprising shipowners of Liverpool are combining together to substitute steam for sailing vessels. Already we hear of the formation of a large company, which has given an order for a steamer of 440 feet in length, and of light draft; and one of our oldest and most respectable firms is, it is said, about to follow suit. Cur shipowners are quite alive to the changes which the successful navigation of the Suez canal will bring about, and are building steamers suitable for the traffic by that route. The " predicted tide " on October 6ihdld not rise above the level of very high springs. Its actual height was Ift 9in above Trinity high water mark. Only rises of upwards of 2ft above the datum are considered extraordinary. The strong south-easterly winds blowing off the French coast from Biarritz to Brest, and off our own shores from Penzance to Liverpool, acting adversely to the flow of the Atlantic tidal wave up the British channel, rendered any very unusual phenomenon either at London or along the southern coast improbable, and the highest rise took place, as might hare been anticipated, in the Bristol channel, the rise at Cardiff being 35ft 3in, as against 36ft 6in during the high spring tide of last March. Undoubtedly, if strong Atlantic winds had set in for the

period over whioh the tidal phenomenon extends, the effects would have been serious. The idea grows and strengthens that the peace of Europe is not likely to be disturbed. The state of the Emperor Napoleon's health is such that his accompanying the army in person is quite out of the question ; and war, even successful war, if he were not with the army, would weaken rather than strengthen his position in France. Lord Clarendon's emphatic declaration at Watford, that "since the close of the Prussian and Austrian war in 1866, Europe had never had a fairer prospect of maintaining the inestimable blessings of peace," has been received everywhere with confidence, and has had a most reassuring influence upon the public mind, not merely in this country, but also in France and iv Europe generally, which is marked by the notable and continuous rise that has since taken place in the French Rentes. An epidemic of murder seems to be sweeping over England. Hardly a day passes that the papers do not record one or more frightful examples, and the last, a double murder at Wood Green, is perfectly horrifying. A man who distrusted the fidelity of the woman he was living with, met her returning from town with the man he suspected to be her paramour. After knocking the man down at the st ation, he dragged the woman to her horne — in the face of bystanders whose protection she implored— and there shot her dead, and savagely beat out her brains before the onlookers. He then rushed to the man's house with whom he had seen her; broke open the doors, and with furious blows dashed in his skull ; two " musicians " whom the wretched man had hired for the day, fleeing at the murder's approach, leaving the unhappy victim to his fate. On Saturday afternoon, September 11, the ■ Wallace Monument erected on the Abbey Craig, near Stirling, was formally handed over by the committee of subscriber's to the -provost, magistrates, and town council of Stirling as the future custodiers of the structure. The ceremony was simple and unimposing. At twelve o'clock the magistrates and other officials marched in procession from the Corn Exchange, and proceeded by way of Wallace street and Stirling Bridge to Abbey Craig, where they met the monument committee. The ceremony was performed in the armoury hall of the monument, in the presence of about 100 gentlemen, Lord Jer viswoode presiding. Mr E. Morrison, the secretary, read a report, which stated tbat the erection of the monument was resolved upon in June, 1856, that the foundationstone was laid in June, 1861, and that after many difficulties had been overcome, the monument had at last been completed at a total cost of £13,401 Is Bd. The amount subscribed was £12,902 1 6s Bd, leaving a deficiency of nearly £500. The original estimate of the cost of the building was £7000.