legislation which we do not believe to be consistent with the real interests of all classes. We must reserve to ourselves the most unfettered discretion in the selection of objects, and in the modification or rejection of measures proposed to us for consideration; and we must hold ourselves free, either collectively or individually, to retire from the task to which we have been invited whenever we may be of opinion that our assistance is not likely to be for the advantage of the public or satisfactory to ourselves. Salisbury, Carnarvon, Lichfield, Sandon, John Manners, John S. Pakington, Stafford Northcote, Gathorne Hardy."

1.-In consequence of the defeat of his Government on the Decentralization Bill, M. Thiers announces in the Salle des Conférences that the factious conduct of the Right left him no alternative but to resign. He retired from the hall with four of his Ministers, declaring that he would call for a vote of confidence on the following day.

The M'Fadden family-husband, wife, and two children-attacked in their residence at Errandsey, Londonderry, and all but murdered by the brothers M'Callog, who had been concerned in litigation with their victims.

The Army Bill, introduced first as a Reorganization Bill, then an Abolition of Purchase Bill, and finally a Compensation Bill, passes the House of Lords.

2.-In the course of his opening address to the British Association, the chairman for the year, Sir W. Thompson, made reference to the origin of life on the globe in terms which gave rise to considerable controversy. "I confess," he said, "to being deeply impressed by the evidence put before us by Professor Huxley, and I am ready to adopt, as an article of scientific faith, true through all space and through all time, that life proceeds from life, and from nothing but life. How, then, did life originate on the earth?" Remarking that we have no right to assume an abnormal creative act in order to answer this question, if it can be answered otherwise, the president suggested that the first germs of life were brought to this world by fragments of matter detached from other worlds in which life had previously existed, just as islands springing up in the ocean are covered with vegetation by the seeds which float in the water and the air. 66 'Hence, and because we all confidently believe that there are at present, and have been from time immemorial, many worlds of life besides our own, we must regard it as probable in the highest degree that there are countless and seed-bearing meteoric stones moving about through space. If at the present instant no life existed upon this earth, one such stone falling upon it might, by what we blindly call natural causes, lead to its becoming covered with vegetation. I am fully conscious of the many scientific objections which may be urged against this hypothesis, but I believe them to

be all answerable. The hypothesis that life originated on this earth through moss-grown fragments from the ruins of another world may seem wild and visionary; all I maintain is that it is not unscientific."

3.-James Nimmo, Glasgow, poisons three of his children with prussic acid, and then commits suicide by swallowing a portion of the same drug.

4.-The Ballot Bill passed through Committee in the Commons.

5.-Cooper's Hill College, founded by the Secretary of State and Council of India for training civil engineers in the Indian service, opened by the Duke of Argyll.

Colonel Hogg, as Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works, lays the foundation stone of the Chelsea section of the Thames Embankment, extending along the river front of the Hospital to Battersea Bridge.

6.-Riot in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, arising out of the interference of the police with a Fenian amnesty meeting, called to neutralize the loyal demonstration made in favour of the royal visitors presently residing with the LordLieutenant. About sixty were injured, several of whom were policemen, struck by stones, apparently carried to the place of meeting for purposes of attack.

Dedication services in the English Church at Zermatt, built partly as a memorial of the disastrous ascent of the Matterhorn by English travellers in July, 1865.

7.-Trial of the Communist prisoners commenced at Versailles. The indictment gave an account of the proceedings of the International prior to the insurrection, and of the various crimes which followed the revolt of the 18th March. Charges then followed, first against Assi, who was accused of incitement to civil war, of usurpation of civil and military powers, of having assumed Government functions, and assisted in issuing orders, the consequence of which were devastation, massacre, pillage, arson, and assassination. All the accused were further charged with conspiring for the overthrow of the Government, with incitement to civil war, and usurpation of office and power. Courbet was specially accused of complicity in the destruction of the Vendôme Column; Lullier of attempts to carry destruction, massacre and pillage into Paris, of taking possession of city property appertaining to the State, and of inciting soldiers to join the ranks of the rebels. Grousset stood charged with active participation in the revolt, with public incitement to contempt of existing laws and of the National Assembly. Verdure, Billioray, and Ferré were arraigned for arbitrary confiscations, wanton destruction of private dwelling-houses and public monuments, sacrilegious pillage of churches, and assassination, they having voted for the execution of the hostages. Jourde was further charged with financial transactions

involving the violation of the seals of the public chests and the squandering of public charities. All the members of the Commune were made responsible for the destruction of property by fire. The number of prisoners was said to be 33,000.

8.-The Ballot Bill read a third time in the House of Commons.

9.-The centenary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott celebrated in various towns in Scotland by festive gatherings. At Edinburgh, where the highest interest was naturally manifested, there was an exhibition of Scott relicsbooks, pictures, and manuscripts-and the day observed in the city as a holiday. The banquet there was presided over by the Earl of Dalkeith (in the absence of his father, the Duke of Buccleuch); and the toast of the evening, "The Memory of Sir Walter Scott," proposed by Sir Wm. Stirling Maxwell. Dean Stanley attended at Edinburgh, and Professor Jowett at Glasgow, where also was present Sheriff H. G. Bell, one of the few survivors of those who took part in the memorable Theatrical Fund Dinner in Edinburgh, Feb., 1827, when Sir Walter acknowledged himself to be the sole and undivided author of the Waverley Novels.

10. Lord Shaftesbury's motion to reject the Ballot Bill, on the ground of the late period at which it was sent up to the House, carried after a brief debate by 97 to 48 votes.

Died suddenly at Lochearnhead Hotel, Perthshire, in his 48th year, Charles Buxton, M. P. for East Surrey.

Meeting of a council of skilled workmen to consider a report prepared by Mr. Scott Russell, detailing the result of his three months' negotiations to secure the support of Conservative leaders to his scheme for a union of workmen and noblemen. The party was reported to be thoroughly and successfully united in a representative council of peers and legislators.

11.- Explosion in Prentice's gun-cotton factory at Stowmarket, Suffolk, causing the death of twenty-four people, injury to seventy, and a great destruction of property in the neighbourhood. Two members of the firm were among the killed. During the last few weeks, experiments had been carried on by Government officials, tending to show that, under the regulations observed at Stowmarket, the cartridges made there would not explode. A dense column of smoke was observed to rise high into the air, spread itself out gradually into a fan-like shape, and then came a terrific roar, heard, it was said, at distances varying from twelve to fourteen miles. As the result of a lengthened inquiry before the coroner, a jury found-"That the explosion causing the deaths of persons on whom this inquest was held was produced by some person or persons unknown adding sulphuric acid to the guncotton subsequent to its passing the tests required by Government. At the same time we consider, from the evidence adduced, that there

is no danger in the manufacture of gun-cotton in the wet process, but that the drying and storing of gun-cotton should not be allowed near a town. Also, we consider that gun-cotton works should be subject to constant Government inspection." Another explosion, but less disastrous, took place at this time in the powderworks of the Schultze Company, situated in the heart of the New Forest.

12.-The Emperors of Germany and Austria have an interview at Ischl.

Proposals submitted to the French Assembly for prolonging the power of M. Thiers. The first, brought forward by the Left Centre, gave M. Thiers the title of President of the Republic, continued his power for three years unless in the meantime the Assembly should dissolve itself, and made the Ministers (to be appointed by the President) responsible to the Assembly. The proposition of the Right simply declared the confidence of the Assembly in the wisdom and patriotism of M. Thiers, and confirmed and continued the powers conferred upon him at Bordeaux.

15. The Commons agree to the Lords' amendments on the Army Bill, after a discussion, having reference chiefly to the Ministerial expedient of resorting to the Royal prerogative for the abolition of purchase.

16. Fire in Burlington Arcade, resulting in the destruction of several shops.

17.-Unveiling of the statue erected on the Thames Embankment to commemorate the services of Lieut.-Gen. Sir James Outram, G.C.B. In the absence of the Secretary for India, Lord Halifax made a short speech on the occasion.

18.-Replying to some criticism made in the House on the view he privately maintained on the Army Bill, Sir Roundell Palmer writes to Mr. Cardwell :-"I have always thought and said that the issuing of such a warrant was within the undoubted power of the Crown ; though to do so without having a sufficient assurance that Parliament would provide the necessary compensation for the officers, who would otherwise suffer by such an exercise of Royal power, would not be just, and therefore would not be consistent with the spirit of the Constitution, which vests all such powers in the Crown, in the confidence, and for the purpose, that right, not wrong, shall be done. I should have been glad if it had been generally and clearly understood from the beginning that, subject to the sense of Parliament being ascertained with reference to the point of compensation, the form of procedure would be that which was eventually adopted, because it is certainly an evil that the adoption of one constitutional mode of procedure, rather than another, should appear to arise from an adverse vote of the House of Lords."

-The screw-steamer Compeer, laden with flax, stranded on the coast, near Berwick, and

breaks up early next month during a severe easterly gale.

19.-Admiralty minute in the case of the Agincourt issued. "Their lordships are of opinion that the primary cause of the disaster was clearly the unsafe course steered by the squadron in obedience to signals from the flagship. It appears that Vice-Admiral Wellesley, on leaving Gibraltar, conducted the squadron under his command so close to the western shore of the bay that, with the weather fine and clear, and the wind light, the leading ship of the in-shore division struck on the Pearl Rock, and was in imminent danger of being wrecked. Their lordships cannot but feel that due care was not exercised by the Vice-Admiral in command to insure that a safe course should be steered by his squadron; and they greatly regret that, with such large and valuable ships in his charge, he did not satisfy himself, by examination of the course proposed, and by seeing them laid off on the chart, that the squadron would be taken a safe distance from a wellknown and dangerous shoal." As the result of their deliberations, their lordships superseded Vice-Admiral Wellesley and Rear-Admiral Wilmot, and placed Staff-Commander Kiddle on half-pay.

20.-Celebration of the Beethoven centenary, commenced at Bonn, under the direction of Franz Liszt.

21. An insane woman at Stow Bedon, named Hamer, wife of a labourer, murders one of her own children by cutting its throat, and also a deaf and dumb idiot, 18 years of age, the daughter of her husband by a former marriage.

-Parliament prorogued by Commission, the Royal Speech read on the occasion, making special reference to the Treaty of Washington, as embodying certain rules for the guidance of neutrals, "which may, I trust, ere long obtain general recognition, and form a valuable addition to the code of International Law."

Hurricane and earthquake at St. Thomas causing the loss of much property, and the injury or death of over 100 people.

23. Festivities at Inverary in connection with the arrival of the young Marquis, and Princess Louise, at the castle. The rejoicings extended over three days.

-Renforth, a famous Tyne oarsman, seized with fatal attack of apoplexy while rowing in the Anglo-Canadian boat-race at St. John's, New Brunswick. It was at first thought that some drug had been maliciously administered to the champion puller, but a postmortem examination made it clear that death resulted from causes which could be otherwise accounted for.

24.-West Surrey, vacant through the death of Mr. C. Buxton, carried by Mr. Watney, Conservative, against Mr. Leveson Gower, Liberal, the numbers being 3,912 to 2,749.

24. Stormy debate in the French Assembly on a proposal made for the immediate dissolution of the National Guard. A compromise proposed by General Ducrot was adopted, which provided for such gradual dissolution as might be permitted by the reorganization of the army.

27.-Illness of the Queen at Balmoral. Various recent rumours as to her Majesty's health received some confirmation from the announcement in the Court Circular:-"The Queen has been suffering from severe sore-throat, headache, and grave general illness. Although greatly better, her Majesty was not sufficiently recovered to attend Divine service."

28. The freedom of Glasgow presented to Lord Shaftesbury.

-Died, aged 78, Paul de Kock, French novelist.

29.-It is announced from Vienna that a

"League of Peace" has been formed at Gastein, to be directed against any power seeking to disturb the peace of Europe. Not only Austria and Germany, but Italy also, and perhaps even Russia, were described as likely to join the League.

September 1.-Walter Montgomery, late manager of the Gaiety Theatre, and who had been married only two days since, committed suicide by discharging a pistol through his head in a bedroom adjoining an apartment occupied by his young wife. Deceased was interred in Brompton cemetery on the 5th, when Mrs. Montgomery dropped on the coffin the wreath of orange blossom she had worn so recently at the altar.

2. The Court at Versailles pronounced judgment on the first group of Communist prisoners. Ferré and Lullier were condemned to death; Urbain and Trinquet to imprisonment for life with hard labour; Assi, Billioray, Champy, Régère, Paschal Grousset, Verdure, and Ferrat to transportation to a fortress; Jourde and Rastoul to simple transportation; Courbet to six months' imprisonment and a fine of 500f.; and Clément to three months' imprisonment. Descamps and Parent were acquitted. The Court afterwards engaged in the trial of forty women, charged with being concerned in firing Paris with petroleum.

3. Another riot in Dublin, a disorderly mob returning from an amnesty meeting attacking the police, and injuring about a score of them severely.

York officiated in the same place the following Sunday.

6.-Explosion in the Moss Colliery, Wigan, causing the death of sixty-nine men and boys employed in what was known as the nine-feet seam. As soon as the surface damage could be repaired, a band of explorers descended one of the shafts and found that the men working in another part of the mine were safe. They were drawn up, along with some who were nearest the shaft in the part where the explosion had occurred. Another explosion took place while the explorers were below; and although they came up uninjured the sides of the pit were reported to be on fire. It then became necessary to close the shaft, so that all hope was given up of saving any other of the large body of workmen known to be in the pit.

- Brighton poisoning case, the magistrates to-day committing Miss Christina Edmunds for trial on the charge of attempting to poison a lady named Boyes by sending her a cake with arsenic in it. A charge of murder in reference to the sudden death, with symptoms of strychnia poisoning, of the little boy Sidney Albert Barker was next gone into. The theory of the prosecution in this case was, that the prisoner had conceived a guilty passion for Dr. Beard, with whose family she was on visiting terms; that she had attempted to poison his wife with a chocolate cream; and that then, Dr. Beard suspecting her, she had procured a number of such sweetmeats, put strychnia upon them, and returned them to the shop of Mr. Maynard, a confectioner from whom they were procured, in order that other persons might be made ill, or even killed, and suspicion diverted from her in respect of the attempt to poison Mrs. Beard. After the inquest on the boy his father received three anonymous letters to the effect that there was a general feeling of indignation in the town at the proceedings at the inquest, blaming Mr. Maynard strongly for having sold the chocolate creams after having been warned, urging Mr. Barker to take further proceedings; and stating that if he did not prosecute Mr. Maynard other parties would, and that, having made three persons ill, he ought to be prosecuted. expert who had examined the letters believed them to have been written by the same hand as others known to have come from the prisoner. On being committed on this capital charge she exhibited no signs of emotion or regret.

An

8.-The appointment of the Rev. R. W. Church to the Deanery of St. Paul's gazetted.

10.-Died, aged 77 years, Richard Bentley, publisher, founder, in conjunction with Charles Dickens, of the periodical known as "Bentley's Miscellany."

11.-Foundation-stone of a new Seaman's Orphan Institution laid at Newsham Park, Liverpool.

13. Opening of the Mont Cenis Tunnel, the first train, with the engineer, Grattoni, and some friends, passing through to the northern outlet in 40 minutes. The maximum temperature inside the carriages was 25 deg. centigrade. Two hours later the train returned to the Italian side, the journey occupying 55 minutes. The tunnel was then found entirely clear of the steam discharged during the previous journey. The formal opening of the tunnel took place on the 18th, when a banquet was held to celebrate this great achievement of engineering skill, and a statue of Poleocapa, Minister of Public Works for Sardinia, was unveiled by the King at Turin.

The King of Spain enters Barcelona in the course of a tour through the eastern portion of his dominions.

14. Continued anxiety being still manifested regarding the health of the Queen, the British Medical Journal announces that her Majesty has passed through a trying and severe illness, from which she is now happily recovering.

16. First mimic battle of the campaign undertaken by three divisions of regular troops, militia, and volunteers, in the district round Aldershott fixed in the "Military Manœuvres Act" of last Session. The first division, comprising the Guards, under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Hope Grant, representing the British army in defence of the road to London, was engaged at the same time in repelling the attacks of the second division, under Major-General Carey, and of the third division, under Major-General Sir Charles Staveley.

18.-Explaining his position as mediator in the strike still pending among the engineers, the Mayor of Newcastle writes:-"I was asked by Sir William Armstrong whether I was authorized by the representatives of the men to make such a proposition. I replied that, for obvious reasons, I was not, but that, nevertheless, I believed that if I, as a neutral party, proposed it equally to both parties, they would accede to it. Some further conversation ensued, on which I retired. I believe that the unwillingness of the masters to agree to this proposition arose from the hard and fast line adopted by the men as to the nine hours, and

from their great haste in commencing the struggle, as evinced by their indisposition to lengthen their notices--a great mistake, in my view, on their part. But I was then and am still of opinion that, even with both parties equally resolute in their own views, a conference of explanation, undertaken at the request, through myself, of influential inhabitants of the town, might have ended in some modification on one or both sides, and have so brought this conflict, sad in every respect, to an end, and it was with this view I proposed it." Mr. Burnett also wrote on the part of the men, blaming the employers for continuing the strike.

18.-Died, aged 69, G. A. Hamilton, for many years Permanent Secretary of the Treasury, and latterly a member of the Irish Church Temporalities Commission.

19.-Died, aged 73, Rev. Richard William Jelf, D.D., Canon of Christ Church, and formerly Principal of King's College, London.

20.-Chief Justice Norman stabbed at Calcutta by a fanatical Wahabee named Abdoola, a native of Upper Bengal. The assassination took place as Mr. Norman was entering the Calcutta High Court, when his assailant suddenly rushed upon him in the vestibule and inflicted a deep wound in the abdomen with a dagger. As there was no one at hand except a native solicitor and a court servant, Mr. Norman ran back, but was followed by the assassin brandishing his dagger, and again stabbed in the back close to the spine. After this, Mr. Norman kept off his assailant for a few seconds by picking up stones and throwing them at him, till a punkawalla connected with the court, attracted by the cries, ran up to the Mussulman and knocked him down with a piece of wood. The assassin struggled violently, but was soon disarmed and prevented from doing further injury. The stabs he had already inflicted, however, caused mortal wounds, and Mr. Norman only lingered till shortly after one o'clock next morning. The murderer, who at first pretended insanity, was quickly tried and executed, and his body burnt.

Mr. Butt, a Home Rale candidate, returned for Limerick unopposed.

Dr. Patteson, Bishop of Melanesia, murdered by natives of Santa Cruz, in revenge it was thought for gross outrages recently committed by Europeans engaged in the slave

or

"labour" trade. Mr. Brooke, with another clergyman, the Rev. J. Atkin, an alumnus of St. John's College, Auckland, and one or two native Christians, had been left for a few months, in pursuance of the regular plan of the Mission, at Florida, a small member of the Solomon Islands group, some distance to the north-west of Santa Cruz. At the end of August, the Bishop called for them in the Southern Cross, and took them aboard. After visiting several islands on the way, they made for Santa Cruz, and on the 20th of September,

reached, not the large island which gives its name to the group, but one of its small outliers, Nupaka, at which the Mission schooner had been accustomed to call first, in order to procure an interpreter for Santa Cruz itself, where the language had not yet been mastered. On this occasion no boats put off to meet them. This was an unusual circumstance, which in itself gave an indication of danger. But four canoes hovered near the reef, and the Bishop, taking with him Mr. Atkin and three natives, put off in a boat to join them. The boat could not cross the reef, and the Bishop, leaving the rest of the crew in charge, went ashore in a canoe belonging to two chiefs whom he knew, Taula and Motu. The boat remained near the reef at about ten yards distance from the canoes. Suddenly, with

out any warning, a volley of eight arrows was poured from them into the boat's crew. Every shot at that short distance took effect. Mr. Atkin was shot in the left shoulder, one of his companions in the right, and Stephen Taroaniara was trussed with six arrows in his shoulders and chest. The boat immediately pulled off to the ship. The wounded crew were replaced by a fresh one, with the exception of Mr. Atkin, who, in spite of his wound, was obliged to act as pilot; and they started again, with sad presentiments, to ascertain what was become of the Bishop, who had been left ashore. The tide had risen and the boat pulled over the reef. What followed may be told in Mr. Brooke's own words:--"No canoes approached--but a tenantless one, with something like a bundle heaped up in the middle, was floating alone in the lagoon. The boat pulled up to this, and took the heap or bundle out of it and brought it away, a yell of triumph rising from the beach. As they pulled alongside, they murmured but one wordThe body.' That was indeed their melancholy freight; but it had been strangely and carefully prepared for them. It was no murder or deed of blind vengeance executed in the sudden fury of the moment. It wore the aspect of a deliberate judicial act, and suggested the idea of a sacrificial victim sent forth as a ghastly herald to announce its solemn completion to the foe. There lay the body, not mutilated or insulted, but wrapped carefully in native matting, and tied at the neck and ancles. Into the breast was thrust a palm frond on which were tied five thick knots! When the covering was removed, the manner of his death became apparent. He had probably been first shot by a volley of arrows, and then despatched by the blow of a tomahawk. The right side of the skull was found to be completely shattered, the top of the head was cloven by some sharp weapon, and there were numerous arrow-wounds about the body. Yet amidst all this havoc and ruin, says the narrator of the sad spectacle, "the sweet face still smiled, the eyes closed, as if the patient martyr had had time to breathe a prayer for these his murderers. There was no sign of