MISCELLANEOUS.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 297, 24 August 1860, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

.Modest.—The correspondent of a London journal direct* the attention of the British public to the fact that the Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, arid Sark) are included in the charts recently published by the French Admiralty, as forming part of the Empire of France. The chaftsHlire OH-sale in the Rue de laPaixand in the Galerie d'Orleans. Paris.

London.—Were London.surrounded by a wall, having a north gate, a south gate, an east gate, and a west gate, ; pad each. of the r ; four , gates was of sufficient width to allow a column persons to pass out freely four abreast; and a peremptory necessity required 'the;immediate vacation of the city, it could not be accomplished under twenty-four hours; by the expiration of which time the head of each of the four columns would have advanced no less a distance than seventy-five miles : from their respective gates,: all the people being in close file, four deep. ; It is said that the French insurance offices intend presenting a petition to ,tne Emperor, praying that a law may be passed to • prohibit the sale of matohes made with white phosphorus, and to allow none but those made of amor* pbuoug phosphorus to be made for the future. Official returns shew that the average annual number of accidental fires in France was about 220Q up toi lßS&ttiefae Inctiou.matches came into=use ? In aß44:the number chad risen to 4GOO,1 which has constantly increased, till in 1857 there 10,000 firei :

A Natural Inference.—A lawyer built himself an office in the form of a hexagon, -or six square. The novelty of the structure attracted the attention of some Irishmen who were passing by. They made a full stop, and viewed the building very critically. The lawyer, somewhat disgusted at their curiosity, lifted the window, put his head out, and addressed them t^ua:—"What do you stand there for, gazing at my office; do you take it for a church V " Faix,', answered one of them, " I was thinking so till I saw the devil poke his head out of the window."

Hindostanese Wit.—Rev. Mr. Scudder, lecturing on Hindostan, gives some specimens of smart/ answers he had received from1 the inhabitants. Preaching to them on total depravity, he asked, " How can a clean thing. «ome out of an unclean one ?" Instantly one of the audience arose, and replied :—'• Behold the lotus flower! it grows out of the mud." A "Tall" Family.—A correspondent of the Ohio Citizen furnishes the following list of a rather tall family, in Bourbon county, Ky. :— The old gentleman is a native of Maryland, and is in his seventieth year; was brought to the State of Kentucky when quite young, and has raised his family in the above county, oonsisting of six sods and three daughters. In the following height and weight of the entire family are given:—Father 6 feet 4 inches, 200 lbs.; mother, 6 feet 4 inches, 286 lbs.; Thomas, 6 feet 4-inches, 230 lbs.; Jame3, 6 feet 6 inches, 215 lbs.; Sarah, 6 feet 6 inches, 165' lbs ;■ John, 6 feet 11 inches, 296 lbs.; Mary, 6 feet 2 inches, 150 lbs.; Elijah, 8 feet 2 inches, 210 lbs.; Matthew, 6 feet 6 inches, 220 lbs.; Eli, 6 feet 6 inches, 197 lbs.; daughter, 6 feet 3 inches, 160 lbs,; total height,7o feet; weight, 2298 lbs. The family are all living, except the youngest danghter, are. all wealthy, and of the first families of Kentucky; 1 might add, several of the grandchildren are over 6^ feet, and are still growing.--.Afoo York Journal of Commerce.

A Bed Provided.—" The kindly feelings arid interests ofthe pastoral relation formed a very pleasing intercourse between minister and people. I have received from an anonymous correspondent an anecdote illustrative of this intimate connection, for which he vouches aa authentic: —John Brown, Burgher minister at Whitburn (son of the commentator, and father of the late Dr. John Brown of Edinburgh), in the early part of the century was travelling on a small (a Shetland pony) to attend the summer saoralnent at Haddington. Between Musselburgh and Trauent he overtook one of his own people.' • What are ye dam' here, Janet, and whaur ye gaun in this warm wather?' 'Deed, sir,' quo Janet, I'm gaun to Haddington for the occasion [the Lord's supper], an' expeck to hear ye preach this efternoon.' * Very weel, Janet, but ' whaur ye gaun to sleep ?' 'I dinna ken, sir, but Providence is aye kind, an'll provide a bed.' On Mr. Brown jogged, and after service 'in the afternoon^ before pronouncing the blessing, he said from the pulpit, ' WhaurY the auld wifie that followed me frae Whitburn?'. 'Here I'm, sir,' uttered a shrill voice from a back seat. 1A weel,' said Mr. Brown, ' I have fand ye a bed • ye're to sleep wi' Johnnie Fife's lass.' "— Dean Ramsay's Reminiscences. A Negro Discussion about Eggs.—Geneva, the lovely village on Seneca Lake, furnishes the following specimen of Parliamentary ruling:— "■ln the fairest village of Western New York, the 'culled possens,' in emulation of their white brethren, formed a debating society, for the purpose of improving their minds by the discussion of instructive and entertaining topics. The deliberations of the society, were presided over by a venerable darkey, who performed his duties with the utmost dignity peculiar to his color. The subject for the discussion on the occasion of which we write was, ' What am de mudder ob de chickens—de hen wot lays de eggs, or de hen wot hatches de chick? The question was warmly debated, and many reasons pro and con were urged and combated by the excited disputants. Tb.O3e in favor of the latter proposition were evidently in the majority, and the president made no. attempt to conceal that his sympathies were with the dominant party. At length an intelligent darkey ros9 from the minority side, and begged leave to state a proposition to this effect, • Spose,'said he, 'datyou set one dozen duck eggs ijader a hen, and dey hatch, which am de j mudder—de duck or .de hen ?' , This was a poser, was well put, and nonplussed the other side, even staggering the president, who plainly saw the force of the argument, but had committed himself too far to yield without a struggle ; so, after cogitating and scratching his wool a few moments, a bright idea struck him. Rising from his chair in all the pride of conscious superiority, he announced!, 'Ducks am not beforede; housed chickens 1 am de question; derefore I rulel. de ducks out;' and do it he I did to the complete overthrow of bis opponents."- -■■•■ - - ■•-•■ '■■ ■■ ■ i :■■■■■■■••■ ■'... '■■ ■

A Noble Brewbr.-^-Mi'. Alderman Beaumont, of Bradford, received a; note;one day from Mr. Hy. Leah, the great birewer, asking the favor of a call. On arriving at the brewer's residence the great friend of temperance was shown into the drawing-room where the brewer and his wife were seated; Mr. Leah said, M I understand, Mr.'Beaumont, that your Temperance Society is in trouble." " Yes, Sir, the mortgage for £500 on our HallJs called iui and I fear the building must be 501 d,," was the reply. "The temperance Society has done a vast amount of good, ■ and ought to be supported,"eaid Mr. Leab. "I do not know what my partners will say to me, but I shall present" the Society with the £600." In a few months the sum was handed to Mr. Beaumont, who received it with fellings that may be better imagined than described. At this moment Mrs. Leah broke, the silence she had hitherto maintained by saying, " My husband has pleased me very much by what he has done." When about to depart, the liberal-minded brewer called Mr. Beaumont back to 'inquire if there were any arearrs of interest due. On learning that the amount of £22 10s. was due; Mr.'Leah drew a; oh'eque for fiv<i hundred and twenty-pouniis ten shillings, which he handed Mr, Beaumpntin; exchange for the other 'Within ten days of this interesting interview, Mr. Leah Was;Step--; piug out of a railway carriage ; his foot caught the step, and was so seriously iujured that in two days he died! ■ " WhaQhy band findeth! to do, dp it."— -JBrUish Workman. ; 1 : ; -, Subscriptions for > Garribaldi flow in. Glasgow has sent «£7o.o c to Mr. Aahurst in the Old Jewry. ; Lord, Eitinaird has subscribed. An Irish-woman; shocked at the conduct of her countrymeh engaged to fight for the Pope,; sends jglp. .Money;is also contributed direct to Italy, from the "Anthenseum:Club among: other; places^ tn thrfee days Mr. Eairbairn^ of Manchester, has received £622^08. 9d.; the spoataneouai^ofifenng, as he 6f>* 3QQ English vm and womea"

in favor of the oausa of the Italian and Sicilian liberty. The whole, he adds, " was freely and unreservedly given. The Edinburgh subscriptions exceeds the sum of £300. Tickle Her Yourself.—Lord Erskine, when at the bar, was retained for a lady named Tickle, against whom an action for libel had been brought. On the trial he commenced his address to the Court thus i—" Tickle, my client, the defendant, my lord." The audience, amused with the eddity of the speech, were,almost driven into hysterics by the Judge's replyingr-" Tickle her yourself, Harry; you are as well able to do it as I."

A letter from Moscow, of the 3rd June, gives the following details respecting the family family of Schamyl :—" The Iman Schamyl has two wives, Zeidote and Chouanate. The first is about 30 years old she is not handsome but is very well educated, and exercises great influence o/er her husband, who consulted her on his most important affairs previous to his surrender to the Russiens. The following proof of her influence over Schamyl:—The Iman wished to marry his daughters, Naphisate and Fatimate, by a former wife, to two of the most influential Naibs io Circashia. Schamyl, at bi» wife's desire, changed his decision and married his daughters to two of his wife's brothers. This circumstance produced a very bad effect on the mountaineers. The Naibs resolved to revenge themselves, and they did so on the first opportunity, when he was finally attacked by the Russians. Schamyl's second wife is handsome ; she iodolises her husband, and concentrates her entire affection between him and her daughter Sophiate. Chouanate looks on Zeidote as a dangerous rival, and uses all her efforts to complete with her in dress. The wife of KaziMagoma, Schamyl's eldest son, is extremely beautiful. The wife of Schmyl's second son, who holds a commission in a Russian Lancer regiment, is likewise extremely handsome. Schamyl's daughter Fatimate, who is married to the brother of Zeidote, is but 15 years of age, and her husband 17. Schamyl has likewise three younger daughters-~Majeonate; BacbonRjtossendon, and Sopbiste. The first is extremely beautiful, but club-footed, which causes her father great pain, as he is devotedly attached to his family. The; ladies of Kalouga, where the celebrated prisoner resides, visit his wives and daughters. When Schamyl is present at these visits the Circassian; ladies cover their faces with their veils. A Russian lady asked Schamyl to permit the likenesses of his family to be taken, to which he consented on condition that their portraits should be taken by a lady. This condition was compiled with, and the likenesses were executed."

At Toulouse, on June 7, the presiding judge of the Imperial Court (M. Solomiac) narrowly escaped assassination on the bench. As the judges were about to retire to their private room, a man in the body of the court fired a pistol at the president, who would probably have received the ball in his head but for the accident of bis having stooped at the moment when the shot was delivered to give a paper to a registrar. Pursuant to articles 507 and 508 of the Code, which authorise courts of justice take immediate cognisance of crimes committed in their presence, the judges at once resumed their seats, and the criminal was put on his trial for his life then and there. On being interrogated he gave his name as Casimir Guilhem, of Graulhet (Tarn). He very coolly stated that, having lost two causes in that court, he had applied to the Emperor for redress, but riot having received a favorable answer, he bad; taken an oath two months since that he would be revenged upon the judges. They had completely ruined him by their decisions, and he thought.he had a perfect right to punish them. Witnesses deposed that the prisoner had spoken to them of his design, and that they had treated him. as a madman. It was also proved that he had been lately seen in the streets in a ridiculous costume, with blue satin shoes on his feet. A barrister assigned to the prisoner by the court, pleaded insanity. This defence, which would probably have been successful in England, was not admitted by the courtj which pronounced a verdict of guilty; but, admitting the excited state of the man's mind as an "extenuating circumstance." it condemned him to hard labor for life, instead of passing a capital sentence. A doubt is felt by some members of the Toulouse bar whether the sentence is legal, the provision of theoriminal code being that offences committed: " during " the sitting shall be judged at once, whereas in this case the pistol was fired as the judges were leaving the bench, and consequently ■" after" the sitting—or, at least, during a temporary suspension of it. The prisoner appealed to the Court of Cassation; [This eyent;' unprecedented, it is said, in France, calls to mind the assassination at Edinburgh^ in 1689, of the Lord President Lockhart, who waßshot dead on the bench by a man whom he: bad ordered to pay an alimony of .=£loo a year to his wife arid children. In that case the prisoner was tortured by order of the Scottish Parliament, and was afterwards hanged, drawn,, and quartered.]