NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1964, 21 August 1869, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Mr Motley, the historian, and the new envoy from the United States, has arrived in England. He began by a very friendly speech, which has had the good fortune to be approved by his countrymen, and it is understood that the President is desirous of a peaceful arrangement of the questions between the countries, and has given up the idea of calling us to account for the neutrality proclamation. Mr Motley was invited by Lord Clarendon to lose no time in visiting him, and therefore avoided hospitalities which would otherwise have gladly been extended. He has been with Mr Chas. Dickens in whose company, and that of Mr Wilkie Collins, he went to Chatham, and was entertained by the military authorities. It is probable that some time will occur before the public on this side hear of the progress of negotiation, and the organs of opinion across the Atlantic have become very much more moderate since English opinion was delivered on the subject of Mr Sumner’s outrageous oration, which indeed we are now reproached for having taken cm serietw. We believe, however, that had England been less firm, Mr Sumner might not have been discarded quite so early. Sixty were extinguished in a few seconds, some mornings back, by a coal pit explosion in South Wales—the Ferndale pit, where, as wo had the painful duty of recording, one hundred and seventy-five perished by a similar disaster in 18(!7. Since that time every precaution has been taken. The mine was divided into three portions, any one of which might explode without damage to the rest, and the ventilation, conducted by admirable machinery, was thought to be perfect. But nothing can save a pit from the consequences of the wilfulness of miners, and there is every reason to believe (an open lamp lias been found) that rather than forego tobacco, some poor fellow has destroyed himself and 59 of his mates. With this misfortune may naturally be connected another of a different kind, but in which colliers were principally concerned. Near a little town in Flintshire, called Mold, are many collieries, and the manager of one of these became unpopular with the Welshmen. Not to dwell on detail, prisoners for outrage were sought to be liberated by a mob of their fellows, who stoned the police and soldiers, until the latter were obliged in self-defence to fire. Three of the rioters, one a woman, who supplied stones, fell, but the unfortunate practice of firing over the head of a crowd •was resorted to, and an unoffending girl was also shot dead. Further violence was apprehended, but the terrible lesson seems to have produced its effect. A Welsh gentleman, of wealth, a keen spoilsman named Pow’ell, went oft‘some time ago to Abyssinia for sport, taking with him his wife and child, and several servants. All have been murdered by the savages of Bazen, but w'e are without any trustworthy information as to the cause of the slaughter, Bazen is not, we believe, in Abyssinia proper, but nominally belongs to Egypt,

and we learn that the Viceroy has offered to two relatives of the family, gentlemen who have at once set forth to the spot, so powerful a force of troops as will probably enable them to recover the remains of their friends, and possibly to avenge crime. At the same time it is impossible to justify the hardihood that permitted the husband and father to take his wife and son into such perils. Sir Samuel Baker, now Pasha, by favor of the Sultan, set an example which none without his exception-.il advantages should dare to follow. Baker Pasha, at the head of a strong force, is about to move down upon the slavedealers, and may be able to advise Mr Powell’s friends as to their best course. He was unknown, except to his own circle, but the tragedy has excited a very strong sensation, on which unhappily there is no need to indicate to some who will read these lines —for the terrible news from Mohaka has just reached English households. The Queen held her fiftieth birthday in the Highlands, but has now returned to Windsor. Court duties are performed for her Majesty in a most satisfactory manner by the Prince and Princess of Wales, who also live a good deal among us all. The Prince attended the great Irish debate. We mentioned in January that his Royal Highness had been made a mason in Stockholm, and this had not pleased some English masons, who alleged that the lodge founded by Charles XIII. was not orthodox. All scruples however must now be forgotten for Grand Master Lord Zetland has announced in grand lodge that the ceremony was duly performed by the King of Sweden, and that the Prince will join an English lodge, and is to be made Grand Past Master. A fearful calamity occurred on the sth of May at Ojo Oaliente, Mexico, by which many lives were lost. An immense body of fire descended upon the church at a time when a large number of worshippers were in the building. A loud report resembling the explosion of a powder magazine followed, and the roof of the church ■was forced in, burying beneath its ruins a large number of victims. The last accounts state that forty bodies and eighteen injured persons had been dug out, but the total number of sufferers had not been ascertained. This misfortune was caused by electroatmosjiheric disturbance. Many of the telegraphic instruments were destroyed in an instant. The efficiency of the Naval Reserve has been tested by a cruise, and so far with the greatest success. Two thousand men, more than was expected, presented themselves, and all accounts agree in affirming that finer fellows were never seen. They are prompt, obedient, and “ respectful,” like the work, and have nothing to learn except the use of the rifle and the working of the large guns. The man-of-war discipline does not annoy them, and the only charge brought against them is that they “do too much,” are, we suppose, the least thing fussy. They will soon unlearn that, zeal being the easiest of all vices to subdue, and they will acquire a prejudice in favour of the Royal Sendee to replace the faint traditional prejudice against it. The Registrar-General publishes a remarkable illustration of the “infallibility ” which seems to belong to some statistical calculations. It is calculated, from the experience of many years, that the number of persons who ought to be killed by hoi-ses in London in the first 19 weeks of the year is 74. In the first 18 weeks of 1809 only 66 were killed, and it seemed as if science were for once at fault. In the nineteenth, however, eight were killed, and the number made up as completely as if it were part of the law of nature that some four persons a week should be killed by horses. The puzzle in the matter is, that while the RegistrarGeneral can calculate the increase in the number of people, it has no data for the number of horses. How many hundred fresh horses would kill a fresh man 1 The Ganova arrived at Queenstown from Callao on June 12, spoke on May 4, in hit. 2 N., long. 30 W., the Cabana, from San Francisco to Liverpool, which reported having spoken a Dutch barque that had picked up a boat with seven men belonging to the Blue Jacket 400 miles east of the Falklands. No mention is made of the 4000 sovereigns which were .put in the boat.when she left the Blue Jacket.

A sailor taking a walk in the fields, perceived a mad bull rapidly advancing towards him, evidently with no good intentions as to bis person. “ Helm-a-lec, messmate,” he cried out at the top of his voice—-“helm-a-lee !” The mad bull, however, probably not comprehending his injunction, did not pay it implicit obedience, but speedily levelled bis worthy adviser with the grass. “There, you stupid,” said the tar, as lie raised himself, more in sorrow than in anger, on his elbow, “ didn’t I tell yon you’d run foul o’mc ?’’