BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 872, 19 July 1910, Page 2

BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

> LONDON SUMMARY. THE KING AND MS,. CHAMBERLAIN. / London. Juno 10. . The King lias paid a visit to Mr. Chamberlain al his residence ill Prince's Gardens, remaining for moro than an hour with tho great statesman. Although the pioneer of the Tariff Reform movement was not sufficiently recovered from his long illness to receive his Majesty at the door, according to etiquette and custom, he was in better health than prior to his departure for Cannes, and chatted for a considerable time with his Majesty, who tool: tea with him and Mrs. Chamberlain. The visit was private, and Mr. Chamberlain is the first citizen thus'to bo honoured by the King in the new reign. ARMY". AIRSHIP'S FLIGHT. The Army airship Beta mod© an extraordinary flight during .the-early hours of Saturday morning, Juno 4. It left the airship shed on Farnbo'rough Common just before midnight, and returned, there, at 3.40 in the morning, baring in the intervening period visited London and round St. Paul's. Tho crew consisted of three only. No lights were exposed on the> ail-ship. The stn-rs were taken as tho principal guide in. the course set, but as London was neared its thousands of lights rendered all other landmarks unnecessary. The outward journey took two and three-quarter hours, and the return journey one and a half hours. Tho airship is not the latest type of dirigible built at the war balloon factory, and few outside the heads of the department suspected that ■it possessed the range of night and capabilities shown by its latestjourney. 6044 PERSONS HOMELESS. • In London, ou tho night of February 18 of this year there were no fewer than. 66-14 persons who were homeless. This is a most remarkable fact disclosed in a return just made to the London County Council giving the result of a census made on tho above-mentioned date. Every street, alley, public stairway, and arch in the Metropolis was visited, as well as casual wards and the various institutions where free shelter is given. Tile result was tile discovery that on the night- in question 5742 men, 860 women, and 42 young, persons were homeless. Of the total of (564-1 no fewer than 2500 mea, 220 women, and 17 young persons were unable to obtain a bed. Compared witli the figures 'for 1004 -and 1909 the total of 6644 show? a terrible increase, last year tho number being 2385, and in 1904 1797.

INDIAN SEDITION CASE. Further revelations regarding the notorious India House, Highgate, were made by the Solicitor-General, Sir Rufus Isaacs, K.C., when a Divisional Court considered tho question whether Vinayak Savarkar, the Indian law student, should be tried in England or India on charges of sedition and the abetment of murder. Sir Rufus said that the pistol with which Mr. Jackson, a collector, was shot last year was one of a parcel of twenty collected by Savarkar at India House and sent out to India. Ho also said that every Sunday a meeting was held at which a discussion took place at India House on tho best manner of turning the British out of India. The Court decided that SavarkarV trial must take place in India.

' A NOVA SCOTIA BARONETCY. In- the Court of Session at Edinburgh, Lord Sherrington gave judgment in an action' by . Mr. Alexander MacdonaldBosville, of Thorpe Hall, Yorkshire, for a declaration that by the marriage of the third Lord Macdonald to Louisa Maria La .Coast..in : 1803, their eldest son, his grandfather, boni in 1800, was legitimised according to Scottish law. Mr. Bosville's .object in bvingiug,|the; action wns to .vindicate 'sUchi-ights as n?ay have descended to him through his grandfather, including, the right to a. Nova Scotia baronetcy. Mr. Bosville's great-grandmother had run away' With the Hon. Godfrey Macdonald, and- marriage was contracted,' according to Scotch law, by exchange of mutual consent. A regular marriage took place in 1603. Judgment has been given vindicating the right of Mr. liosville to the Nova Scotia baronetcy. THE BLACK FLAG. An amazing story has just come to tho cars of . the 1 police with regard to the exploits of an organised gang of pirates who held up the passengers on a launch returning from Windsor races. It appears that these robbers, who numbered between thirty and forty, boarded a launch named tho Britannia at tho Clewer Point. There were some hundred passengers on board, and after threatening to throw the captain overboard, tho thieves proceeded to rob them of all the money and valuables they possessed. None of tho gang had paid his fare, am) they apparently succeeded in terrorising those on board the launch. When th- boat was berthed at tho Windsor Bridge landing-stage the pirates succeeded in rushing the . gang plank, and vanished among the crowds.' BIG SHIPPING DEAL. ■ It is stated that tho Royal Mail Steam Packet Company have agreed to purchase tho whole of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's share .capital at par, namely, .£25 per share. , The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company has its head offices at 18 Moorgate Street, E.C. It was established by royal charter in 1839. Its capital is .£1,500,000,. made up of ,£600,000 Five per Cent. Non-CumulativG Preference, stock and <£900,000 Ordinary stock. The company's steamers trade extensively between English and American ports and South America. Tile Pacific Company was incorporated in 1810, and its office is' at 31 James Street, Liverpool. The capital is >£1,477,125 in fully paid up shares of .£25. In 1008 tbs dividend distribution was -£1 per share. . THE DIVORCE COMMISSION. Interesting evidence was given before tho Royal Commission on the Divorco Laws by Sir Richard Solomon, the now High Commissioner for South Africa. Ho said that the South African system worked very well. The grounds on which divorco was granted were _ misconduct, malicious desertion, and imprisonment for life. With regard to imprisonment, this was a recent innovation. There was absoluto equality of sexes. A person could suo in forma pauperis if ho satislied tho court that he was possessed of no property of the value of more than ,£lO. Where a wife was the petitioner tho husband was compelled' to provide her with money for the purpose of instituting her suit, provided the court had evidence that he had the necessary means. After a decree had been granted, it was illegal for the respondent to marry the co-respondent. SEQUEL TO SEA DISASTER. In the King's Bench Division two of the passengers on the EHerman liner Sardinia, which took fire add became a total wreck off Malta, sued the owners of tho ill-fated vessel for damages. It will, be remembered that ninety-nine lives, principally of Mahommetan pilgrims to Mecca, were lost on the occasion of the disaster. The plaintiffs were Mr. James and Mrs. Jessie Grant, of Malta, and it was stated that they were thrown into tho sea and lost their only child and all their luggage, narrowly escaping with their own lives.' A conference between tho parties before tho case had proceeded far resulted in a settlement being arrived at. CANADIAN MORTGAGE CASE. In tho Chancery Division judgment was given in a case which had reference to a bequest in the will of tho Rev. W. J. lloyles, by which one-third of. his property, valued at .£3300 odd, was left to charity. The question at issue was whether tho bequest was valid under' tho .Mortmain Acts, as a considerable part of tho property consisted of' mortgages on real property in Canada. The case was brought by the Attorney-General to

vary the Master's Certificate to the effect that the bequest was invalid. The summons to vary the certificate was dismissed.

HORDERN PARTNERSHIP CASE. The Judical Committee of the Privy Council—the Supreme- Tribunal of Empire—have .dismissed the appeal of the son of the late Mr. Anthony Hordern against an order of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Mr. Anthony Hordern died in ISSfi, and, by a clause in the partnership deed, Mr. Samuel Hordern, his partner in the .famous business at oydngy, was empowered to acquire the business on having a valuation made, and, on that valuation, paying to the deceased's representatives . his full share. Xhe sum of ,£158,232 15s. 10d.- was found to be -the testator's share in the business, and that sum was paid to the appellant, as representing his dead father. He considered that the valuation was insufficient, and took proceedings. The Supreme Court of New South Wales deeded against him, and it was from this decision that he appealed.

•DIAMONDS IN RHODESIA. Judgment has been reserved in tha Court of Appeal in the case of the appeal of 1 the De Beers Company from a judgment of Mr, Justice Sivinfen Eady, holding that an exclusive license granted by the British South Africa Company to the defendant 'company to work all diamondiferous ground to which - the plaintiff company was or liecame entitled in their territory was invalid, as falling (in the events which had happened) within the doctrine of a clog upon the equity of redemption.

WIRELESS TELEPHONE. A demonstration, of a startling development in radio-telephony was made recently, when a perfected instrument was tested for the first time with excellent results.. By its means it is now possible with a, small equipment, easily carried in the hand, to converse without wires for many miles, the conductivity of the' earth or the water itself being utilised m the. place of wires. "The value of the new method is obvious," the inventor, Mr. Sharman, said recently. . "Take, for instance, the recent wreck of the Pluviose off Calais. Had my wireless telephone been installed on board the submarine there is no reason in the world why her sister ships could not have spoken- to her by wireless and learned immediately the nature ; of the damage and suggested' possible means of escape."

EAIIiWAY ACCIDENTS. .! • According to a Blue Book jnst issued by the Board of Trade, during the last quarter of 1909, 236 persons, including .121 trespassers and suicides, were killed, and 1911 (1243 being railway servants or contractors' men) were injured. Both thesa figures show a decrease compared with the final three months of the previous year, the fatalities being 81 less 'and the noii-fatal accidents 138 less. There were 63 cases of collisions of rolling stock, 24 of which involved 'passenger trains.

CURIOUS TREASURY CLAIM. Tho extraordinary procedure adopted ■by tho Treasury in ail action' againsti lUrs. Pridgeon, a Teddington lady, in the Middlesex Sheriff's Court,. is -to be the subject of an application in the High Court. The lady received the sum of '•£3OO .from' the late Captain Field, partly,' it is understood, in .payment of money owing to li6r. It seems that the captain owed the Government'' ,£3OO, 'and - repaid only .£l5O. On behalf of the lady it is said that this was entirely unknown to. her. Without, taking any action to' justify their claim against the lady for the'remaining .£l5O, the Treasury put a sheriff's officer in possession, of . her shop and home. They then asked a jury at the Middlesex' Sheriff's Court to'say whether the lady's effects were of the valua of. ■£150. The jury, who were told that they had nothing to do with merits of the claim, found that the goods were worth' ,£l5O, but added that they did not acknowledge that tho money was owing la; the lady.

HEAVY STORMS. England, has been..: visited by seven) thunderstorms, and a large- amount of damage both by lightning . and by. the heavy rain is reported. At several places on the South Coast buildings were struck by lightning and partially wrecked, and in London two houses were badly damaged. At least two cases cf death from lightning have been reported, and .several people have been injured and a number of cattle killed. Off Brighton a fishing smack was struck, and the fishermen oil board were hurled to.the. deck and. rendered unconscious for half an hour. Ilea on other boats in the neighbourhood were also knocked down. The . rain ' was exceedingly heavy, and much' .damage was done to growing crops.—"Standard oi Empire."