NEWS BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2273, 30 June 1880, Page 2

NEWS BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

A poor woman was lately arrested for picking up pieces of rotten brandies of white thorn for firewood on one of the Marquis of Landsdownc’s estates, near Kenmave, Ireland. The bail ill; of this great [nobleman swore the value of the wood taken to be one penny, and the woman was fined 3s Id for the offence. She was about to be arrested for default and put in prison, when her husband, who was in bed prostrated with want and hunger, got up to go in search of an official of the Landsdownc property who owed him 3s. He died on the way from exposure and starvation.

In St Petersburg lately one the Emperor’s servants, who stood high in Ids master’s favour, thought ho heard the Czar’s voice calling him, and entered (lie imperial bedroom. The Emperor, awakened suddenly by the noise of his footsteps and not recognising the valet in the dim light of the lamp which swung over his head, drew a revolver from under his pillow and tired. The servant fell to the floor with a groan. The room was quickly filled with watchmen, members of the household, and courtiers, fearful that another attempt had been made on the Czar’s life. When the truth was learned the wounded man was carried to another room, and doctors pronounced his injury to be fatal. Efforts were made on all sides to prevent the news getting abroad, and it was generally given out among the people that the man had died by his own hand. The incident is said to have augmented the Czar’s terrors. A new Liberal paper is talked of in London. It is to be a daily newspaper combining the business energy and special excellencies of the Daily News ” with the intellectual vigor and robust social and ecclesiastical Liberalism of the “ Pall Mail Gazette.” The Conservative journals arc to be punished for the views they have expressed on foreign affairs by having withheld from them all official communiques, which are, under -h) next J abend Administratin'.!, to he given away to the new paper and to the “ i >aily News.” The enterprise is to be a Sente!) one, the capitalist who is supplying the greater part of the iii'incv required—about .1 dols—being a resident of Edinburgh. Two men belonging to the village of Ibiiiinlalfy, county Mayo, lately abandoned their farm through inability, it was stated, to pay rent under “impossible” conditions. They gave up possession ef their bolding to a Homan Catholic curate of the neighborhood—Father Corbett —preparatory to their emigrating to America. The rev. gentleman and some members of the Land League assembled, and the priest put in.possession of the farms two “ determined-looking young men,” whom bo instructed to hold out at all hazards. A notice was reared containing the words “ Let no man take this land,” and Father Corbett said they would see whether any man would take these holdings till full compensation had been made to the tenants and the present rents reduced. “ Let no man,” he added,” take these holdings ; let them grow there waste, and before longmatters will come to a crisis.”

Mr Edward Clark, Q.C., the Conservative gentleman who was elected in Southwark in January, spent C 0,700 for his scat. lie had made just one speech when Parliament was dissolved, and he was beaten for re-election, presumably after incurring nearly as great expense. Altogether his career in Parliament must have cost him about lOOOdols. a day.

Mr Bright, in a recent letter to a Jewish elector on the subject of the relation of the Jew' to two political parlies, pointed out that none but an ignorant man could fail to know that the Liberals session after session contended for the Jews when they wmre excluded from Parliament. Mr Disraeli was, Air Bright thought, the only man on the Tory side who voted for them, and the reason for his vote is obvious.

Professor Patrick, of Kansas, who has analysed it, says of the now grain, rice corn :—“lt will be seen that the rice corn stands well as an article of food. In itslporccntago of fat-formers and of heat-producers, i.c n starch, fat, dextrine, and sugar, it compares very favorable with all the grains mentioned, while in its contents of albuminoids—tiie (iosh-formers so called—it surpasses all the Indian corns of which I lind analyses, and takes rank with wheat, rye, and oats.” A. telescope rudder has been invented to be used when there is danger of collision. Two iron plates bolted together with distance pieces between them constitute the rudder. Between these two plates is a third, which can bo drawn out at pleasure, increasing the rudder power of the vessel from thirty to fifty per cent. This sort of rudder is intended principally for vessels Laving steam steering apparatus. An American has invented a novel life-boat. It is a hollow' metal globe with ballast to prevent a capsize, and a mast of iron from which to lly a signal of distress by day and bang a lamp by night. 'This mast is also hollow' and serves as a ventilator. Stores are provided under the lloor, and a party of shipwrecked passengers would be all right as long as the provisions lasted. Tiie globe is surrounded by a cork fender, is expected to save the boat, even if dashed on the rocks. At the May Middlesex sessions John Shepherd, aged forty, pleaded guilty to a charge of pocket-picking, but told the warder privately that lie was innocent. The warder reported the statement to the Judge, who asked the prisoner why he had pleaded guilty. “I have been convicted live times” was the reply, “and what is the good of pleading not guilty ?” The J udge ordered a plea of not guilty to be recorded. The ease was gone into and the prisoner was acquitted.

A man calling himself McGufiin made his appearance at Port Franks, Canada, and gave out that ho required some tour cartloads of sassafrass root, an article which abounds in the sandy land surrounding the Fort. As the price offered was -remunerative, the whole population was soon busily engaged collecting the precious stuff, and large piles were collected and stored in the several houses and hotels, greatly to the discomfort of the inmates. Me (In {Tin in the meantime lived on the fat of the hind, the best of cvcrtliing being provided for him. After about six weeks lie announced bis intention of going to Sarnia to draw money to pay for the enormous pile of roots collected. He promised to return on the first train. It is needless to state that he has never been seen nor heard from since, and sassafrass is now at a painful discount. Nor is it prudent to this day to enquire too particularly after that commodity at Fort Franks. Says the London “ "World ” : —Trade and commerce will apparently be represented more conspicuously in the new House of Commons Hum in the hist. Brewers and hankers, men of hideous omen, Auriferous fellows of immense abdomen,

Flashy directors with their diamond rings— Such is the, sum of our six hundred kings.

As it was in the Parliament of 1874, so it will be in that of 18S0. Either political ability of the kind which once plentifully adorned the House of Commons is a lost quality, or it finds the opportunities for its exercise elsewhere. What the English public has really to dread is, not that a party pledged to a “ policy of decomposition” should get the upper band of St. Stephen’s, but that the Parliament, which in another month will be on the eve of meeting, should surpass in power of dnlocss and Jack of interest that which was dissolved last week.

Swimming shoes are the greatest novelty chronicled from Be.ilin. Details oL’ their manufacture at present obtainable are scanty, but it appears that movable ribs, on which canvas is stretched, are attached to the sole of the siioc. The ribs arc fastened on a revolving axis, so that by striking out the legs the canvas is opened, the action of drawing in the logs closing it, ami thus offering no resistance to the water. The shoes may he retained on land, as on standing upright the ribs fall back on the sole. The invention is cine to Herr (dustav bprotto, of Berlin, and is patented. London music halls arc rapidly becoming political arenas. iSo-callcd patriotic songs are sung, and the audience is invited to applaud and hiss in turns, according to their sentiments. A decision is then given as to whether the “ ayes ” have it or not. Lord Headley and Mr Hunt were lately in a box at the Metropolitan, and being recognised, were obliged to address the audience, and the acrobats and comiques were nowhere.

The barque Vigilant, which lately arrived at Queenstown,from Valparaiso, landed Captain Beale, the master of the Lizzie M. Merrill, who had been rescued in mid-Aliantic, from a plank Bft. long, to which he had been clinging for SO hours. The Lizzie ML Merrill, which was bound from Hew York to Hew Orleans, was struck by a heavy sea., which burst the decks and caused the vessel to founder. All hands were lost, with the exception of Captain Beale, who clung to the plank. The County Carlow election was remarkable for the extraordinary means taken to secure it. Hover was an Irish County more thoroughly canvassed, organised, and educated to vote for the Lord Mayor of .Dublin and Mr Macfarhinc. The winning grace of woman was added to the most energetic influence of the priest, the publican, and the poor-law guardian. Every tenant on MT Xavanaglrs property was canvassed in person by the Lady Mayoress, who, with characteristic devotion, accompanied her husband during his electioneering tour through the County. An Action to recover a policy effected with the Accident Assurance Company was lately hoard in the Exchequer Division before the Lord Chief Baron and Mr Baron Huddleston. William Winspcar obtained a policy from the defendants for the payment of A 1,000 in the event of death by accident. While he was crossing a ford ho was seized with an epileptic (it, and was drowned. The defendants relied on (ho proviso that they were not liable in case of death by natural disease. Their lordships gave judgment for (he plaintiff, and refused leave to appeal. It is stated in several of the papers that for the (irsttime since the reign of Henry YIII a military mass is now celebrated in the Tower for the benefit of the Homan Catholic ollleers and men of the Guards stationed there. This result has been mainly brought about by the Bov. Father Bowden, who was formerly an officer in the Household Brigade.

A movement is on foot in England to start a home postage of one halfpenny, an ocean penny postage, a sixpenny telegraph service, and a universal money order system. A committee is in course of formation to press these important questions on Parliament. The engine of the train engulphed when the Tay bridge fell lias been .successfully raised. It wants the funnel, but otherwise is little damaged. • As yet it has not been minutely examined, but it is clear that the revease action had not been applied, and (lie supposition is that the driver had had no time to put on the brakes, or in any to interfere with the speed of the train.