MAIL NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3042, 18 November 1872, Page 4

MAIL NEWS.

THE PRINCESS OF WALES, Whilst the Daily Nats correspondent was iuthe midst of the crowd at the Copenhagen Exhibition, on the occasion of the presence of the family, ho had opportunities of listening to some interesting remarks among the more unsophisticated portion of the visitors, such as the inhabitants from Ainager and the peasantry of Zealand. Princess Alexandra was the main topic, and the expressions applied to her were very naive indeed. “Ob, why there she is now, the sweet angel !” said a peasant woman in a very excited and sympathetic voice. “Where,” said her younger companion, “ the one furthest to the left ?” “ No, no, no, she is in the middle; Alexandra must always be in the middle, that is her proper place. But fancy her not having become English yet! How proud ought we not to feel! She is just as she used to be.” The mother of a family from Amager—a Dutch island-colony just out of Copenhagen—was very much struck with the appearance of the princess when she proceeded grace'nlly and modestly beside her queen mother to the balcony of the landing and sat down. “ There she is,” she said, “ I know her from her likenesses, bless her !” Then she lifted up a little chubby girl, in funny costume, to give her a chance of seeing the princess, exclaiming as she did so, “ Perhaps I shall be some day as proud of you as the queen is of Alexandra now ! ” Turning to her husband, she said, “What joy and pride the queen must feci in having her children thus around her, before these thousands of her subjects.” All this evinced, at all events, a good farad V spirit. The princess seems to be,, in some mysterious way, passing into a legendary individuality among the good folk here, and really bids fair to become the heroine of some popular legend. THE GENEVA AWARD. The pecuniary result of the whole is that Britain must pay to the United States a gross sum of 15,500,000 dols. in gold, the equivalent in sovereigns being—to descend to Mantalini-like trifles—L3,229,lo6 13a 4d, in full satisfaction of all claims, together with interest accruing thereon. Upon the award being made known, the Afaro Yuri Herald declared that the United States had gained neither honor, credit, nor dollars by the transaction, and that the whole fiiteen millions and a half of the latter would be swallowed up by counter claims allowed to British subjects under the Commission, and that dollars and honor had alike been lost in tho affair. Our own Punch puts the affair simply enough by making John Bull express his satisfaction and willingness to pay, but at the same time intimating to Mr Lowe the undesirability of “sticking on” an extra twopence to the income-tax in order to meet the difficulty. The and always hasjbeen, an elastic institution, and Mr Lowe js pot very apt to take advice, so the people with peonies may have to pay the piper giter all.

AN EMIGRATION AGENT. Mr Thomas Birch, who for some time past has been busily engaged in the northern parts of th: island in endeavoring to persuade his stalwart countrymen as to the good things that await them _in New Zealand, recently paid a visit to London for the purpose of seeing a number of his Shetland protends off for their new home in the South. The ship prepared for their passage was the Christina M'AusJand, and the simple Shetlanders seemed to see an omen of good in the homely name of the ship in which they were to sail. Judging from the general appearance and conduct of°the emigrants, they should make capital colonists. Half a score of _ the Shetland woman are noted for their skill in knitting. And this sprcly represents an industry that might be largely an 4 profitably pursued in New Zealand, immediately after phe sailing of the ship, Mr Birch turned his steps North again. He purposes paying an early visit to Orkney, returning to Shetland by-and-by, where several families are preparing for a journey to New Zealand. THE BALLOT IN ENGLAND, The great political event of the time has been an election a* Preston. “ Proud Preston” has always been a tolerably cafe place for the Conservatives, but an additional interest was given to the recent contest in consequence of the ballot. The Pontefract election was hardly looked upon as a test, bat at Preston it was differently treated. Taking the proceedings and the remit, the ballot would be voted a failure, at any rate so far as ensuring secresy and preventing bribery are concerned. The secresy was set at nought by every elector who bad promised to vote for the Conservative candidate being provided with a ticket. This he gave up to an agent after having voted, Jiis name was duly “ticked off” a register by Another agent; a third in the meantime eonntipg aljl sif.ch electors as left the booth without giving up tickets. this means the state of the poll was'known aqd declared from hour to hour, and with what accuracy may be estimated from the fact that although over 800J votes were recorded, the Conservative agents only made a mistake of nine out of the total. Evidences of_ bribery became known chiefly in connection with the illiterate voter, He, of course, had to tell the returning officer the name of the candidate for whom he desired to vote. This he did in a voice sufficiently loud to reach the cars of an agent stationed outside. This was accepted as evidence of a correct vote having been given, and on leaving the booth ho was conducted to another place, there to receive his pay.

EXTRAUODTNARV CRUELTY,

At the Lewes Petty Sessions lately, Mrs Mary Elizabeth < liaptrell was charged, at the instigation of thp Koyal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals, with having subjected forty live cats and thirty-two dogs to a state of the utmost misery, at her residence at Rottingdoan, The defendant, it appeared, had formed a large collection of dogs, cats, fowls, and the like. Elizabeth Pettinger, a domestic in the defendant’s service, now deposed that in May last there were forty-three cats and thirty dogs, with puppies, left in a loft. The defendant went to London at that time, leaving the animals to the care of two servant-girls. When witness saw them, at the end of June, they were worn to skeletons, and otherwise in a dreadful state. The girls had no money with which to buy the animals food, and the tradesmen stopped the supplies. Mr Pritchard, veterinary surgeon to the prosecuting society, said he ’went to the defendants house, and found the stench so fearful that at fiiV't, and until he had taken a stiundent, he could not enter. When he did so he found eats and dogs roaming in a starving and ravenous condition about the place, their

bones almost protruding through the skin. One cat lay dead upon the table, and another was so emaciated that it was unable to rise. In the backyard he saw about twenty dogs so thin that he could count the ribs easily, and a large number oi cats there were in a like condition. In the whole course of a lengthened professional career be never saw animals suffering o badly from actual starvation. The magistrates fined the defendant L 5 and costs, Lls 9s (id, and told her if she came up again on such a charge she would be sent to prison. When she left the court the defendant was snrr unded by a large crowd, who followed her with Lootings to the railway station. COLONIAL, THEATRICALS. Mr Henry Harwood, of Melbourne, is at present in Lon ion advertising for dramatic taint in any and ev ry branch, f, We have not heard whether any success has attended ins efforts. Mr Clarance Holt is giving a new “Dickens Entertainment,” with prologue and epilogue written by Mr George Fawcett Rowe. The latter gentleman has furnished the Theatre Royal, » anehester, with aversion of “Faust” to be produced early in the ensuing season ; he has also esgaged to furnish Mr Florence, the Ameilean actor, with a drama written expressly for him. His adaptation of the “ Bells” has been produced at Booth’s Theatre, with Mr J. W. Halleck as the chief character. It is described by the Tribune, as the greatest success produced for some time. Miss Kate Putman is negotiating with Mr B. L. Farjeou for a dramatic version of “ Grif.” Mr Harry Jackson and MrJ. B. Howe are both performing at Coveut Garden. Mr John Hall and Mrs Hall, and Miss Wiseman, have arrived in England in company with Dave Carbon. It is their purpose to proceed, to India with an entertainment, Willie Edouiu is playing Front de Bccuf in the burlesque of “ Robin Hood,” with Lydia Thompson’s troupe in New York, Willie’s dancing is very highly spoken of. Another Australian favourite, Mr Farquharson, is also at the Hall by the b'ea at Margate.