MAIL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2611, 7 August 1876, Page 3

MAIL NOTES.

The latest form of swindling was developed] the other day in Glasgow, where a bustling fellow, pen and pass-book in hand, "oalled for. the root "of a lady, and got it— amounting; to £18. The aeoounts of the expenses eonneoted with; the Prince of Wales' visit to India show thatt tho sum of £€0,000 voted has not been ex- 1 ooeded. It will therefore not be necessary toj ask for any further vote of money. • May 13 was the Pope's birthday, when Hit Holiness completed his eighty-fourth year, having been born on May 13, 1792. He completed the fifty-fifth year of his priesthood od tho 12th of last May, and living to the 16th of July, has occupied the pontifical throne I just thirty years. An enormous beeoh-tree was drawn from Hawardon Park the other day by seven horsei to the Oonnah Quay Railway for transit to Manchester. Ifc was felled by Mr Gladstone, who, notwithstanding that it measured thirteen feet in oircumferenoo, accomplished his laborious but agrooable task in less than six hours. The tree contained over 200 cubic foot, and weighed nearly nine tons. Export* onoed " fellers" tell us that the ex-Promier did his work in a thorough business -like manner.and quite to the satisfaction of the purchasers. A duel has been fought at Brussels between Captain Van Hecke, of the 14th Belgian Regiment of the Line, and Lieut. Marshal, in tho Ministry of War. They met with pistoli and fired throe shots eaoh at thirty-two paces, M. Marshal's first shot having been in the air, They were then placed at twenty-two paoes, when Captain Van Hecke received M. Man shall's ball in the heart and fell dead. Lieuj tenant Marshall and the four witnesses are is custody,/ and by the Belgian law they an liable to imprisonment for not less than thre< 4 months or more than two yeart,together witht flnoof from G00tol0,000fr(from£20to£400) : ; A knotty point has! arisen at Home in r» ferenoe to marriege with a deceased wife'i lister. >A mao) iwHo) had espoused his wife'i sister insured her Hfo for £Z0O t »od., at hei death' ap'plM te^mktMJfor BSOW whioh was resisted, on the ground of some m» oorreot nformation respecting her health.

The jury, however, decided in his favour ; but the judge raised the point whether as the deceased was not his wife de jure, the survivor eould have suoh interest in her as was contemplated by the statute in default of a will of special assignment. His Lordship directed judgment to be entered for the company, giving the plaintiff leave to move the Court above for a verdict in bis favour.

The following act of courageous self-control and presence of mind may be compared with advantage to the honours won by deeds of daring on the field of battle. Two workmen were engaged fixing a lightaing-oonductor on the summit of a steeple at Vflle-sur-Ourthe, in Belgium. To accomplish this somewhat difficult and delicate task it was necessary that one of the workmen should stand on the shoulders of bia companion. While in this position a violent gust of wind made the topmost man spill some molten lead, which fell on the hand and forearm of his friend. Notwithstanding the sudden intensity of the pain thus infiioted,the victim of this accident had the courage to remain motionless while the lead burnt its way into his flesh- He knew that the slightest movement might precipitate his companion from a height of seventy feet into the street below, and he bravely endured the pain rather than imperil the life of his fellow-worker.

The race for the grand prize of the Jockey Club, commonly oalled the Frenoh Derby, wu run on Sunday, May 28, at Ohantilly, in the preeenoeof 40,000 spectators. The first favourite was Baren Bothchild's famous Kilt. There were eight false attempts, but ultimately the flag was dropped to an excellent start. Camembert (ridden by Archer) took up the running till the second turn, when he was pulled back, and Filoselle assumed the lead, followed closely by Jonquille, till the turn for home, when Kilt, who had held a prominent position amongst the leaders, came on in pursuit of Jonquille, and soon afterwards headed him. The rase ended with a splendid struggle home between Kilt, Ashantee, and Engaerrande, who were ridden by the celebrated jockeys Cannon (who had come from England specially to ride Kilt), Chaloner, and Hudson. The excitement, when these horses neared the post, was in* tense, and ultimately Kilt came in first, Enguerrande second, and Ashantee third, the dittance between the first, second, and third horses being only a head. Cansembert was fourth. The betting was 2to 1 against Kilt, 10 to 1 against Aihantee, aad 12 to 1 against Enguerrande. One of the most curious relics of the Roman Catholic body ae it existed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries under the penal laws is about to be, or by this time probably has been, swept away we allude to the Benediotine content at Hammersmith; It dates n a eohool for young ladies of thai religion, probably from the sixteenth century, and has certainly been a convent from the seventeenth down to oar own times. It was founded by one of the Bedingflelds, and many of the Jerningfaams, Stourtons, Arundells, Selbies, Cliffords, Petres, Throgmortons, andTalbots have been educated within its walls. It ceased to be ocoupied by religious ladies about six years ago, when such part of the building as could be made habitable was converted to the purpose of a training college for priests for Archdeacon Manning's archdiocese. The house was diligently searohed by Titus Oatee and his companions 200 years ago; but nothing was found to bring its inmates within the meshes of the law. It was subsequently destined for destruotion in the senseless riots of Lord George Gordon, but was saved by its remoteness from London. It is now proposed by Cardinal Manning, as the hut and crowning work of his arohiepiscopate, to pull down the rest of the atruoture, which is realty scarcely weather* tight, and to ereot on its site, at the cost of some £15,000, his training college of the future. This is to be plain and substantial, free from all display and luxury, so as to serve as a pattern for the young ecclesiastics who are to be moulded there for the hard work of missionary life. The first stone of the new training college was to have been laid on the 7th July by the cardinal, who has given £1000 towards the cost; some of his clergy has promised £2000; the Duke of Norfolk gives £2C00; the Countess Tasker £1000 1 Lord Petrie £6000.