GAMING AT HOMBURG.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 3, 16 November 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

GAMING AT HOMBURG.

With the fondness for theatrical display which characterises his nation, a Frenchman studies effect even in death. At Ilomburg, the favorite mode -of ending his existence is blowing out his brains with a pistol, in the room where his ruin has been effected. When such a catastrophe I happens, the gamesters first exhibit a momentary surprise, and then manifest I considerable annoyanceat the temporary j suspension of the game. No sooner j has the palpitating corpse been removed; Hie blood-stained and brainstrewn floor washed and polished, than the game is resumed and the dead man forgotten. All these things have been known to occur within the brief space of ten minutes. Prominent among the frequenters of the rooms by the readiness with which they sts.k'e considerable sums, dislinguiched from all the others bg ihe external equanimity with which they bear alike the smiles and the frowns 'of fortune, are those players whom their apparel, demeanor, and .accent emphatically proclaim to be Jfinglishmen. They meet their losses without repining, because their purses are generally well filled, and because they know that the loss of fifty or hundred pounds will merely result in the shortening of their tour and the hastening of their return home, if » Frenchman

w9|^^^^^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| s v cu^^^H^B^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^B noir thei^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H as the adept^^M|^^^^^^^^^^^^^H skill nor teaches I^^^^^^^^^^^B unnecessary to argue^S^^B^^^H how can the original shareholcr^^^B the Homburg Gaming Company have received yearly dividends at the rate of one hundred and fifty percent, on their capital, if those who game carry away much money wish them ? Just as some men continually delude themselves into the conviction that they have succeeded either in squaring the circle, or in discovering a means for producing perpetual motion, so do others work themselves into believing that they have invented a system of play which, if practised, will render losing impossible, and winning a certainty. M. Gourdou assures us, what we can readily believe., that numbers of monomaniacs of the latter kind are to be met with in. Paris. He was acquainted with one of them. This was a man twenty-five years of age, who was well connected, and had been well educated. All the works treating of games of chance he had carefully studied, and thoroughly mastered'every system, that had been devised. He calculated chances, grouped figures, I weighed so to speak, the impOn&erab'e and arrived at conclusions in favor of his own theory wih a confidence, a logic, and a precision altogether astonishing. No professor of mathematics could have solved a problem more clearly and satisfactorily. Not only could he demonstrate the goodness of his system, but could incontrovertibly explain wherefore the system of his predecessors had disappointed their expeefcations. All that he required to put [ his scheme into successful operation was a loan of ten thousand francs, which he obtained. A fortnight after he had started for Homburg, M. Gourdon received a leHer from him, dated from a frontier town, and which ran thus : — i " 1 have arrived from Germany, having left you know where,- the money I took along with me. AV^ant of money has forced me to stop here. I require a, hundred francs in order to return to Paris, and 1 beg that you will forward them to me.'' He added in a postscript, " pray excuse my being without four sous wherewith to prepay this letter.'' The next time M. Go irdon saw him, he said that he reconsidered his sj'steta and discovered wherein it was defective. On this M. Gourdon remarks — "He could hardiy have spoken otherwise o£ a simple error -of addition.' 1 YVheu Don Quixote was preparing to set out as a knight-errant, he furnished up an old suit of armor which had been used by his ancestors, and which he found in his garret. Unfortunately, the helmet was incomplete, there being only a simple headpiece without a beaver. This defect he supplied by forming, and fastening to the helmet, a vizor of pasteboard. He next proceeded to try the strength of the helnrvet, by smiting it with his sword. The first stroke clove it in twain ; thereupon he substituted an iron plate for the pasteboard vizor. A.s the helmet now seemed sufficiently strong, he thought it needless to test its ■strength ; so, placing it on his head, he sallied forth to aid and succour the helpless and the distressed. Now a system-monger acts precisely like Don Quixote. Having invented a sj'stem whereby he will infallibly win money at play, he test 3 it practically, and is beagared in consequence. Detecting the causes of failure, he ingeniously removes them, and thus renders his system perfect in his estimation. Satisfied with his theoretical perfection, he studiously avoids a second mischance and disappointment by again testing it practically. Instead of doing this, he becomes a knight-errant on behalf of luckless gamesters. He, publishes his system that they may adopt it, and thus become enlightened and enriched. There are always to be found plenty of unthinking men and women who eagerly purchase every pamphlet professing to contain an infallible receipt for making a fortune by gaming. These pamphlets are generally sold in sealed covers, and for very hijjh prices. _^^

of the^rr^rn^H^^^^^^^^^^J the general elainr^^^PM((BßJ[ made on the tolerance and generosity of the House does not seem to elicit a more congenial response. At least, a letter which we publish today wi 1 make it very doubtful whether the gentlemen of the Oratory deserve to " possess so high a character, and to be so thoroughly respected, that the imputations oT Mr Newdegate will have no effect whatever.'' A gentleman writes to inform us that his son., who was the Captain of "Westminster School, and on the eve of being elected to a Studentship at Chr'st Church, Oxford, was taken one day to see the Oratory at Brompton, and introduced, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, to a Roman Catholic priest. The boy was baptised at d o'clock the same night. We ..state the mere fact in the barest possible way. A young gentleman of eighteen, of good prospects, whose father was alive, was introduced without previous acquaintance to the Oratorians at Brompton, and they hurried him into a change of religion which would be fatai to his prospects, without the .knowledge of his father, in the space of eight hours. The indecent haste of this proceeding, and the total disregard of all honorable respect for a boy's weakness and his friends' feelings are quite bad enough. But we are further informed that the ceremony was hurried on " with the knowledge and consent of Mr Faber, the Father Superior, for the express purpose of preventing any interposition of parental authority." The Oratorians acted not only in disregard of a father's wishes, but in direct and avowded opposition to his authority. No one will be surprised at what followed after tins. Mr Eiarrison miy not have treated his son with the confidence which would have been the only means of regaining his influence, but he was thwarted at every step he took by the Oratorians. He offered to enter his son at oue of the Halls at Oxford, that he might take a degree, and compete for an Indian appointment; but the Oratorians made a counter move, and offered the boy £100 a year if he liked to join the Oratory. Then his father sent him to spend a month at the sea side, and endeavored— not, perhaps, in the most judicious way — to prevent his having any opportunity of visiting the Oratory. But Mr Faber sent him money, and before the end of his visit to the seaside, the boy removed to the Oratory, became a " postulant" against his father's express prohibition, at the age of 18, and has resided in the Orator3>- ever since. •We do not sea that these facts, even when reduced to their barest possible value, admit of any explanation or palliation. If it is only true that ab- y 18 years old has been residing in the Oratory at Brompton against the express prohibition of his father, by the consent of the Superior and members, of the Oratory, we can only, say that they are not acting like gentlemen, that they do not possess a high character, and that they do not deserve to be " thoroughly respected." For the purpose of these remarks we are not coucerned whether the Oratorians be Homan Catholics, or Protestants, or Mahomedans, or heathens. If they had succeeded by fair means in converting a responsible person to any theological belief whatever, we should not have though*, of troubling the public with the story. Within reasonable limits we have learnt to let men's religious convictions look after themselves, and if the Oratorians would confine themselves to absorbing enthusiasts who are lawfully their own masters, even at eight hours* notice, we should have nothing to say to them. But such a proceeding as this is simply contrary to the ordinaiy rules of honor and justice. It might look theological to refer, like our correspondent, to the Fifth Commandment, and we confine ourselves simply to the most obvious claims of courtesy and morality. No gentleman would encourage any man's son iv a course directly opposed to his father's known wishes, still less would he hurry him into an important step to escape his

t heses : —I n * i ZadldeVs ■ Almanac for 1 861 (published in October, I860,) there appeared, among other astrological predictions, 1 some vague predictions respecting the late Prince Consort. Among the predictions for May, IS6I, it was said — " A most malefic position is found this month for an eminent character, who was born with the Sun in Virgo 2 deg. 22 mm. — for in that very degree doth Saturn become stationary : and the of Saturn on the third day is not the only evil feature — for, on. the 24th, the Sun squares Saturn, and other evil testimonies concur to show that a national loss is now threatened and that there will be weeping and Wailing in high places.'' No direct mention is here made of Prince Albert ; but that Prince Albert was the "eminent character" whom Zadkiel had in his mind > when he wrote the passage may be inferred — so Zadkiel himself has since contended — from another passage in the same almanac, in which, referring to the same month, and the same > positions of the planetary bodies for that month, he said — " The stationaryposition of Saturn in the third degree of Virgo in May, following upon this lunation (that nearest to the ingress, 26th March,) will be very evil for all persons born on or near the 26th August. Among the sufferers, I regret to see the worthy Prince Consort of these realms. Let all such persons pay scrupulous attention to their health." Prince Albert was born on the 26th of ' August, 1819, on which day, Zadkiel has since informed us, the Sun was in ' the third degree of Virgo. So far, it might seem to t!ie common apprehension, Zadkiel had made no hit. The month mentioned passed, and nothing of the kind that seemed to be predicted happened to Prince Albert. But it is an astrological principle, it seems, that--"birth-day influences extend all through the subsequent year of life ; and, consequently, we are now given tounderstand, the Prince was not safe throughout the year. '

vras stuclTupTor^iie^ffi^ol^S^^^P roar mail robbed, Gardiner was ever the gentleman highwayman. We are sorry not to be able to pay a similar compliment to the scribe of the Dispatch, who is evidently a vagabond of the meanest description. Our surprise is that in the centre of civilisation such a thing should be allowed to crawl and leave its slime. A number of illiterate people unhappily read this pernicious journal, and as they believe, what appears in print naturally take an aversion to the colony of Victoria. It does not appear that New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, or even Western Australia have all or any of them come under the lash of the Dispatch. Not a word appears in that veracious print, save perhaps for sensational purposes, of the Gi bert and O'Meally outrages in New South Wales, not a line is written upon the dependence of South Australia on other colonies for its very existence, breadstuff— of Queenland sprouting fi into entity mainly by Victorian capital ; there is a most significant silence on the part of what once we would have some degree of pleasure recognised as a contemporary. To Western Australia the Dispatch will doubtless look for comfort. The new views of the Times are dollbtless most obnoxious to it. The Parliamentary Committee which reported in favor of Western Australia as a good site for the deposit of the able-bodied convictism of. England — the grand moral manure depot of Great Britain — has of course found favor in the eyas of this foul bird of prey which pollutes London. As we have a constitutional aversion to condemning a man unheard, let the Weekly Dispatch speak for itself. Out of all the varied, and to a great extent encouraging news sent to England by a late mail, the following only is commented upon. And here the journalists are pitched into. We are all "purely colonial." We wish most heartily it was in our power to say the Dispatch was purely English, either in style or manliness. The extract runs thus: — "The style of the writers is purely colonial, and in keeping with acommunity in which the Chief Secretary threatens to apply ' the toe of his boot to the person of another member, and in which the Minister of Justice calls another 'an advertising quack,' the victim retaliating by a b)ow in the face, al] •within the precincts of the Legislative Assembly. Clearly the colony, politically, is sinking, and not slowly, to a level with New York, and commercial morality is at a low ebb. The yield of gold falls off, the population decreases, and the produce of the land diminishes. Are these evidences of prosperity 1 This progress to be boasted of? This a condition removable by emigration ? Bats quit a sinking ship if they car, and surely even a ' limp-minded crawler ' may know when to * pluck the flower safely.' How and why is it that men are so eager to and do abandon the colony, its 'great wealth,' and boundless resources ? . Why troop they over the Murray into New South Wales, by sea to Queensland and Otago, while every Favorite ship for England is filled ? And how many more would go if they could ? A c statistics wanted ? Need we any rate of wages to quote to prove that the population is anxious not to remain and enjoy the manifold blessings of the colony of Victoria, including the climate? 'My word!' I wish 1 had t the London Emigration Society's Secretary, Mr Knight, here just now." In absolute amaze, we again ask, who can this creature be ? Is he an expiree or a stowaway ? Mr Edward Wilson has done yeoman service to this colony in the way of acclimatisation, although tie salmon ova always died, and the sparrows have invariably been stricken with a sore disease. That gentleman would confer an additional favor by importing to Victoria— coals to Newcastle though the venture mjght be — this native bear, who, under a judicious course of treatment, good food, good air, and decent society, might in time - prove one of Mr Wilson's successes. .

The ||Pi!||iPP|i^^^s>ned for 350 Government emigrants from England by each ship, anticipating securing 830 of the first, second, and third classes. The fares Tie c fixed at moderate rates, and if the money could have been raised to build this splendid- fleet, there is no calculating to what extent the passenger traffic by long sea might have reached. As the promoters have been so long silent, we presume that the object has Hied a natural death. That there is COim for a superior class of steamships by sea direct there can be no question, as the fare of Ll5O for a single person, or L 370 for a married couple, via. Suez, is a great drawback to conveyance by steamship from Europe to the Antipodes. The new Governor of Victoria, Sir Charles Darling, has jirst quitted England by a sailing' ship, and if the voyage by the Cape of Good Hope were performed in less or even the same time as novt occupied by the overland route, there would, unquestionably, be a considerable passenger trade by full powered and fast steamships, possessing larger and bitter ventilated cabins than those in the trade. If this company be defunct, there is vitality still among those favorable to the Panama route. Anfinfluential deputation waited upon the Post-master-Generai the othc? day, to urge upon the home authorities the advisability of trying the Pacific line. They were not only prepared with arguments in favor of this neglected route, but were" empowered to offer sub stantial assistance in the shape of subsidies. Mr Hamilton and others on behalf of New South Wales, were prepared to guarantee L 50,000 per annum and Mr. Crosby Ward, Post-master Gene a\ of New Zealand, backed up this by a second sum of L 40,000. Were, then, we have the yearly guarantee of LBO,OOO per annum ; and if the the home government would add L 40,000 to those amount?, a tender iright be called for at once f>r a fortnightly service from Panama to New Zealand and Sydney, The misfortune is, that the colonists themselves cannot agree upon a common line of action. The province of Otago being situated nearer to Melbourne than the northern is to Sydney, there is a regularly established mail service between Auckland, New Zealand, and Brisbane, by the Intercolonial Itoyal Mail Steam Company's ships ; and if there were a trunk steamer fr.om Auckland to Panama, the mail communication would be perfect, for one steamer could convey the mails from Auckland to the other islands, and thence from Otago to Melbourne. Until the colonists can aiir.ee among themselves as to the- best route for the trans- Pacific steamers to take, the labor of those in this country, who, on national grounds, would 'be pleased to see the Pacific bridged by steam, is thrown away. Now is the time for the representatives of New South Wales and New Zealand to concert means for establishing a mail service via Panama. When the fortnightly contract is sealed with the Peninsular and Oriental Company there will be difficulty in fixing a time for the departure of a third monthly mail ; it would be more simple to start a weekly service alternately; Those personally interested should therefore bestir themselves. It is reported, and with probability, that the list of subscribers io the forthcoming engraving after the " Railway Station " picture, the result of two years' industry, and amounting to over £16,000, together with the plate in its progressive slate, the original picture, the use of a replica, and other things, have been sold for about £J 3,ooo.— Athenceutn. Of the persons who passed through the English prisons in the twelvemonth ending 1 at Michaelmas Jast, the returns show that no less than 4053 bad been in prison above ten times before ; four years ago the number was only 3006. These persons neither reformed nor deterred ; but law and lawyers ''keep pegging away," as President Lincoln has it.

— The upon the of our lines on display a fearful aggrewithin forty jards of the works, of a sudden the parapet was alive with armed men, and in an instant more the flash of thousands of muskets hurled death and destruction most appalling into the ranks of our advancing columns. Stevenson's brigade withered before the destroying agent; 500 men lay dead or bleeding on the field at the first fire. Bravely, against all odde, this command fought, until its depleted ranks could no longer stand, when sullenly it withdrew, under cover of a hill near by. More praise is due to the brigade of Ransom. In addition to the heavy musketry fire which repelled the assault of Stevenson, artillery played wich dreadful havoc upon the fading ranks of Kansbm, and after eveiy effort tof win the goal, he, too, was obliged to give way. Nor was Colonel Boomer's attempt more fortunate than either of the former, but it was more determined than the rest. Late in the afternoon he made one more effort to carry the positon. He did not survive this assault. At the. head of his command he fell mortally wounded, and, died a few moments after. All the information is not yet collected, but enough is at hand to warrant the assertion that our loss in that iif&ir will exrod 3000. The most humiliating feature, aside from the natural feelings of humanity we all profess, is the reflection that all this terrible loss has resulted in no single advantage gained, except to demonstrate the valour of bur soldiers. — AW York Herald. Clifton seems, from local statistics, to be a famous place for matrimony: for in- ' stance, it is said that no less than thirteen fashionable young ladies, resident at Clifton, are engaged to be maried within the next six weeks. — Court Journal Longevity in Ireland. — Among the 5,798 967 persons enumerated in Ireland at the census of 1861, no less th;m 742 are returned as being of the age of 100 years and upwards; 278 ' 0f these aged persons were men, and 464 were woman