ENGLISH ITEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 11, 25 May 1872, Page 2

ENGLISH ITEMS.

A grand military review took place at Brighton yesterday, in accordance with the programme previously announced. An immense crowd witnessed the manoeuvres which were conducted on a large scale, and were rendered more than usually interesting by the rehearsal of the Battle of Dorking. The troops in the field, including some 20,000 volunteers, were divided into two armies—one of invasion, the other of defence. The enemy was supposed to have effected a landing in Shoreham haxbor. The movement commenced with an attack on the village, and its capture after an obstinate resistance. The invaders then advanced on Brighton, after repulsing a body of troops, and took up a defensive position. The army of defence being largely reinforced, took the offensive under General Tfor.sford, and attacked the invaders with s ccess, although the latter broke through Horsford's right centre and created great confusion for a while. Firing ceased at one o'clock, both sides having been impartially beaten. The mock fight was succeeded by a march past, which was not satisfactory. The review on the whole was considered a failure. The weather was fine, although there were occasional showers and a fresh bracing breeze. A train took down large numbers of spectators from London. By the breaking down of a stand at Lnrgan, Ireland, during the races, 200 peeple werprecipitated to the ground. Thirty were iniured, some fatally. April 10. Gladstone accepted conditionally the invitation, signed by three thousand citizens of Belfast, to accept the hospitalities of the city and deliver an address. The invitation was presented .by a deputation of citizens, and Gladstone spoke at some length in explanation and defence of his Irish policy. He would be greatly disappointed if pressure of public duties prevented his visit.

The Grand Jury at the Old Bailey found uj -ue bill against O'Connor, the assailant of; 1.1, Quern, charging him with misdemeanor ! Prince Leopold appeared as witness against, the |>r isoner. : The London "Telegraph "says —We regret to learn that the relations between France' and Germany, the critical condition of which j was inadis known through thene columns, is causing the greatest anxiety amongst those by whom it is beht appreciated. i The Kami! paper farther expresses the belief; that it is only by the exercise of discretion at j Paris and Berlin that grave complications! may be avoided. j In the House of Commons to-night, John !

Bright took his seat for the first time since his protracted illness. Disraeli gave notice that he should interrogate the government, as to the cour.se intended to be taken in regard to the meeting of t.lio Hoard of Arbitration at Geneva,. Odger addressed a public meeting at Norwich hint- night, and declared that a change in the Ministry was needed, and that the only way working-men can get the power was to embarrass those who had it. The meeting w;is orderly. The bullion in the Bank of England has derroased Ji<Ssß,ooo. Tho Bank has advanced ils rate of discount to four per cent. A u World " special from London says the note accompanying the ISnglish replication, submitted at Geneva to-day. explicitly declares that Krigland will not consent to have the indirect claims arbitrated. Cashing says the note is worthless, and that arbitration must, proceed. April 15. In tho House of Commons to-night, Gladstone, in reply to the inquires of Disraeli and others, again assured the members that the note accompanying the British counter caso protested against the jurisdiction of tho arbitrators of Geneva over the claims for indirect damages and promised to lay the documents before the House to-morrow. The Lord Chancellor introduced in the House of Lords to-night a bill creating the Supremo Court of Appeals, the Judges of which are to receive a salary of £0,000 each.

j THE TICHBORNE CLAIMANT IN NEWGATE. | From the London "Despatch." Tiik claimant, it seems, ha-< allowed himself to be "interviewed" since his incarceration in Newgate. Keferring to the mode in which the Attorney-General had conducted the case again-st him he expressed his indigj nation that the learned gentleman had not cross-ex-j umined him upon the tattoo marks* ljut had kepi tiiac part of the defence in reserve in the hope that ii would, as it ccitainly did, deal a successful blow aga him. '• If he had ven ured to examine me on this matter," remarked tho prisoner, ''it would have given me the opportnnity which I ought to have had, of denying that I was so m irked, and of bringing forward good witnesses who could have sufficiently proved it. And what I particularly complain of is, that Mr. Alfred Seymour, M.P., who says he knew all along that I was tattooed, did not at once .state it. Can we consider it a proper thing if he allowed nie to impose myself as Sir li iger Tiuiiborne upon my mother and sisters. Then ag.iiu, there are the letters of Mrs. Pattendrcigh. The Attorney General tried to win his case with them and failed, and he had to acknowledge he could not rely upon ihem. If i hud don this I wonder what would have been said ? I should not have been surprised in that case to have found myself where I urn now." In replying to a question about the general conduct of the trial, he criticised the speedy decision, which the jury gave when they had only lieard a few witnesses for the defence. Could it be that the jury were frightened at the prospect of two hundred witnesses being placed in the box by the AttorneyGeneral? The Attorney General, he said, knew that such an idea was enough to terrify any juryman in the world. Nor did the claimant seem satis lied with the perfect impartiality of the judge—in fact he expresed himself in a very opposite sense. Healso spoke in -ngry atones about tho publication of the " Martin Guerre" cane in "The Month," a periodical, he said, which was edited by the brother of the' Attorney-General. lie stated in a very clear manner, what the story was, and said that as published in the periodical mentioned, it was materi- j ally altered from the book in which it originally appeared. "There can be no doubt," said the cla-mant, "that it did prejudice public opinion against rne." When asked what he thought was the cause of his case breaking down, and what won the decision for the defendant, he answered " money ; and money is all that I want to free myself from this place and prove my innocence of the charges upon which I am committed, and win my estates." With respect to the bail, he said, '■ I want to know why I should be treated differently to other people ? Why should they require me to give them sureties in a manner which they do not require of other defendants who are placed in a like position to myself? See what else they have done. By u most unfair proceeding I was made a bankrupt, and altogether they have left me bound hand and foot. They have seized everything—absolutely left me nothing. All my papern have been taken, and i hey have appropriated my last change of linen. All that I possess is the suit of clothes I now wear. How can it be expected that I can meet the charge against me when I am thus treated?" With reference to his committal, he said, " I contend that it was not fair my 88 witnesses ([ forget the exact number), who so distinctly swore in my favor, should go for nothing, and that the jury should have so readily | believed the lew cn the other side, and particularly those who swore about the tattoo marks, none of whom agreed as to what the marks actually were. Some said one thing and some another. Up n evidence which did not agree, and which I and my witnesses, and more still, could have denied, the defeudant won If the jury had given me the chance, I'd proved everything I said." when asked whether he had any confidence that the result of his trial for perjury would be in his favor, he replied, "Why, of course ; of what perjury have I been guilty ? I have proof of everything I said. But I will not consent that the trial shall take place at Westminister. I shall demand to be tried at the Central Criminal Court. There I shall expect to get a fairer trial. He then went on to say that when he is acquitted he in'ended to go on with the action for the restoration f of his property, and that he shall prosecute the Doughty j case. After a few further observations in which the claimant again repudiated with gestures of contempt the charge of perjury, positively asserting his innocence, and re-asserted his determination to prosecute another action for the recovery of his title and estates, the interview came to an end.

Periaxial Rye Grass.—Although this is one of the oldest grasses in cultivation, much disappointment is experienced by parties too anxious to realise :i rapid profit ou their I outlay, and a few hints on its management will, we hope, be useful to intending- purchasers of seed 3. In selecting rye grass seed it is at all times advisable to obtain the heaviest samples, for, as a rule, they are the produce of old pastures, and more durable than teeds from young crops. The disappointments previously alluded to arise from a want of a knowledge of the character of the grass, and are easilly explained. Rye grass is naturally perennial, but may prove annual through a little mismanagement; and to make a good serviceable pasture we would offer the following suggestions : —The land should be clean and brought to a fine tilth for the reception of the seed ; when sowing is finished, let a bush harrow be passed over the paddock, and then a roller of medium weight, and when the young grass iaestablished either pass the scythe over it or let it be eaten off with sheep or young cattle when the land is not too moist. Continue to put the stock on it during the whole of the first season, but do not by any means attempt to let it stand either for hay or seed until it has been well grazed. By this treatment the grass will become more dense in its habit, and much more profitable in after years ; but if allowed to mature seed the first season, it will be forced to a premature death and cause much loss and disappointment, and the produce will only be a poor sample of seed with a delicate conation, which, vrheu marketed and sown by other growers, can only lead to further disappointment.