CLIPPINGS,

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1780, 20 April 1874, Page 4

CLIPPINGS,

One of the leading merchants of London, Mr Sampson Copestake, the head of the firm of Copestake, Moore and Co., of Bow Churchyard, died on February 3. He had attained his 74th year. The Bureaux of the National Assembly have appointed a committee to report on the bill regulating the liquidation of the Emperor Napoleon's civil list. The committee is composed of fifteen members, eipht of whom are opposed to the Convention concluded by the Government with M. Rouher on behalf the Empress Eugenic, and demand that the treaty should be declared void and the matter referred to the tribunals. The other seven members are favorable to the Convention with certain modifications, several agreeing that a sum of money should be paid to the Empress, but desiring that the objects of art contained in the museums at Pierrefonds and Fontainebleuax should remain the property of the State. M. Leon Say and other members demand that a sum equal to the civil list for September, 1870, received by the Emperor before the revolution of September 4, should be deducted from the amount to be handed over to the Empress. The Paris journals announce the death of an old soldier, named Hoteland, who was one of the drummers whose instrument drowned the voice of Louis XVI. when he attempted to address the crowd present at his execution. The horror which; the events of 1793 had inspired him with in his old age was so great that he could not speak of them without a quivering of body, and this had earned for him the nick-name of "LeTrembleur" among his neighbors. The fall of the Grand Vizier of Persia (according to the Teheran correspondent of the Independence Beige) has counterbalanced the good effects which were expected to follow from the Shah's visit to Europe after his return home. He came back with the best intentions, but it was .essential for him to be supported by a capable, vigorous, and honest minister. Unfortunately, this minister, one of the few statesmen in Persia who desire the good of their country, has against him at once the near relatives of the King, his wives, and all the fanatics in Persia. "I regret to add (says the correspondent) that certain legations at Teheran also plot against him merely because the members profess to have personal grievances against him." At present there is an absolute lull in politics and public affairs. The Shah came back much fatigued with his travels, and this is the moment that all the affairs of State and the duties of the Grand Vizier devolve on him. Everything is at a stand. There is no more talk of the military mission from France, or of the engagements contracted with the European engineers and professors to come to Persia. " In a word," concludes the correspondent, "we have fallen lower than we were before the Shah's journey," and he predicts the reappearance in a short time of all the abuses which the Grand Vizier tcok so much trouble to suppress. " One engineer and some employees of Baron Router have begun the works on the railway at fiesht, but here people believe less thau ever in the success of the scheme." At the Glasgow Established Presbytery, on 4th Pebruary, the charge of heresy against Principal Caird, the Queen's chaplain, came up. Mr Wallace, elder, moved — " That the Presbytery take into consideration Principal Caird's views, stated in a sermon on Unbelief." These views/. Mr Wallace held, were that a man was not responsible for his religious belief. The Rev. Mr Robertson moved—" That, as the sermon appeared as a newspaper report, and as Dr Caird had denied the charge that a man was irresponsible for his religious unbelief, the Presbytery take no further action." After a long discussion, thiß motion was carried by 21 to 14. An appeal was made to the Synod. In his charge to the jury in the " Tichborne Case," the Lord Chief Justice said — " We know full well that the freedom of the bar is essential to the pure administration of justice. We know very well / that it would be an evil day for this I country if the freedom of the bar should be interfered with. It might be argued that this single case is the single exception which, perhaps, would prove the rule — but is that so 1 What, interfere with the liberties of the bar in checking the licence of unscrupulous abuse in restraining remarks which amounted to miß-statements and slandsr ? The bar is the most nobleminded and generous-spirited body in the world, and has never claimed the right to Blander as one of their privileges or oonsidered the restraint of undue license an interference with their rights — ' No, 'tis slander. Whose edge is sharper than the sword ; whose tongue Out-venoms all the worms of Nile ; whose breath Rides on the posting winds : and doth belye All corners of the world— Kings, Queens, and States, Maidß, matrons— nay, the secrets of the grave This vipetous slander enters.' Never, I trust, will slander be considered a weapon in their armoury to be used in their advocacy. Here, unfortunately, the living and the dead have been equally aspersed, and there never was in the history of .jurisprudence a case in which so much invective and abuse has been used. I trust it will never occur again." The inaugural meeting of the African section of the Society of Arts was held on January 30, when an address was delivered by Sir Bartle Frere. The company included Lord Monteagle, Sir Samuel and Lady Baker, and a large number of merchants and others interested in the trade of South Africa. Sir Bartle, at the outset remarked upon the present exceptional position of Africa as a whole, and attributed this iuaiuly to a defect of political cohesion. He did not doubt, however, that many of the causes were ethnological and religious. Speaking of Southern Africa, he said the Cape Colony might any day rival Australia as one of the most important positions of the empire. The " rediscovery" of the ancient gold-fields and the diamond fields would, he doubted not, attract in Africa as elsewhere enough and more than enough attention from persons in all parts of the world. The " rich coal discoveries, however, would be the most important source of national wealth, and one more likely to the, most important source of national wealth, and one more likely to affect the destinies of Africa than anything yet discovered." The address of Sir Bartle Frere was listened to throughout with much attention, and at its close Sir Samuel Baker made a few remarks upon hifl travels in Central Africa. The Rev

Horace Waller, who was once an associate of Dr Livingstone, strongly impressed upon the Society the advisability of bringing over to England Livingstone's faithful body-servant Tumah, whose Bervice dated from his boyhood, when Livingstone sent him to school at Bombay, and who would be able to furnish many valuable and interesting particulars of his master's life and travels.