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Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3009, 7 October 1878, Page 2

The centenary of the birth of the poet* Thomas Campbell having' occurred in 1877, and the erection of a memorial statute by the citizens of. Glasgow to his memory having evoked a considerable amount of interest in his Life and Works, the Committee of the Art Union of Glasgow were induced to request Mr Herdman to select four well known subjects from the poet's works for his illustrations. The selections chosen are " The Pleasures of Hope,". "Gertrude of Wyoming,' 1 "Lord Ullin's Daughter," and "Lochiel's Warning."

. When the family of the I?ev. S. C. Kent were retiring to rest the other night, says iEgleg, (the house is in Smith street, near. Victoria-parade) the servant was startled by an ominous grpwl from the big watchdog, and as this was repeated she went out into the yard, and was hor? rifled at finding a' man on the fence— prevented from entering by the dog. She asked him what he wanted, and, among his mutterings, she caught the words " He calls himself a minister, does he, and keeps a dog like that—m% it isn't consistent." .

Dr. Ghas. Ryan, the young Victorian surgeon who distinguished himself by his services under the Turkish flag during the late war, was entertained at a dinner at Scott's Hotel on Eriday evening, says the Australasian, on the occasion of-his return to the colony.- Professor Halford presided, and there were about-50 gentlemen present, including many of the leading members of the medical profession in Melbourne and Dr. Eyan's old teachers in the Melbourne University. The health of the guest of the evening was very warmly drunk, and a pleasant evening was spent. Mb Gaunson, in the Victorian Assembly, is begining to receive many delicate attentions from his old friends. Mr

Woods interrupted him yesterday/with remarks about "Bolany Bay blood," and again he expressed an opinion that" several generations must elapse before the the future Gaunsons wjll have skins less thick than the hide of a rhinoceros. Mr Gaunson is quite at home in the bandying of compliments of this character. He objected to Mr Woods being called to order, as he professed a 'certain pleasure' in seeing the hon. gentleman make an indecent exhibition of himself.

The Presbyterian Church News puts the cas"e rather tellingly against pur exGovernor, Sir James Fergusson. His Excellency had a hereditary if not historic connection with the Church of Scotland ; yet during the time he occupied the viceregal chair in New Zealand, he never qnce identified himself with his countrymen in the matter of public worship. This singularity of conduct was often remarked upon, but in charity it was believed that mere concern about being uppish could not actuate so great a man,, and that as a matter of principle, most likely he had exchanged the Presbyterian for the 1 Episcopal Communion. But if there was any principle guiding his ecclesiastical preferences, it must haw been nearly akin to that of the Vicar of Bray ; for at the last meeting of the" General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, we find Sir James Fergusson in his place as one of the representative elders. We respect every man's conscience (says pur contemporary), however much we may differ with bim in matters of religious opinion; but respect, we think, .is hardly due to any man who can make his worldly position the measure of his religious profession ; who can turn. his back upon the Church of his fathers the one day, and take his seat in the place of honor she foolishly assigns him the next.

Ik the discussion on the question of convicted criminals being disqualified for life from exercising political privileges, as suggested by the member for Geraldine, Sir George Grey said when he drafted the New Zealand Constitution, in the draft criminals were debarred from the privilege of being allowed to become electors ; but when the drafNi&s returned to him Mr. Gladstone had lidded the words, "unless they have been pardoned, or suffered the punishment, awarded them." "I was very angry," the Premier said, " but now I know Mr Gladstone was right and I wrong."

A Times correspondent, writing from Bucharest, says -the idea prevalent in some quarters that the line of the Balkans is a strong one is a mistake. The Balkans are nothing more than-a belt of large dumplings*, as to speak, which permit infantry to wind abound them in all directions, making roads as they go for artillery and transport trains ; and as infantry do nearly all the fighting in modern warfare, a line which can be easily passed by this arm of the service cannojfe be regarded as being a strong one. The southern slopes are . steep, -while the northern are easy of access in hundreds of places. Thera are numerous places of egress for a column entering from the north, and as the direct lateral movement of a defensive force is difficult, this choice of entrance andegrebs afforded the attacking army renders -it necessary, in order to insure perfect safety, to tave a continuous line of defenders occupying each ravine and hill along the crest of the range, and with strength enough at each point to resist aa attack in force, The continuous line being impossible, it' is an error to suppose that the Balkans will ever interpose a serious barrier to an intelligent and determined attack from the Bulgarian side of the mountains.

It would appear from the last number of the Telegraphic Journal that the telegraph officials of the Post Office hare succeeded in applying the "duplex" method to the Wheatstone automatic instruments, the practicability and importance of which was pointed out in an article on Telegraphic Progress," in the Times of the 22nd of November last. The trial would appear to have been made at the recent Epsom.race meeting, when there were, of course, a great many telegrams of all kinds to be received and despatched, and it is stated that in one hour 2JL9 messages were sent in one direction, and 130 in. the other-m-.358.in all 4 more could have been sent in the latter case had there been more to send, and from this it would seem not unreasonable to hope that the, speed of the Wheatstorie system may one day reach, or even exceed 400 messages an hour. The messages are said to have been of the ordinary land and of the average length, and the number transmitted is believed to have been the largest ever sent on one wire in the same time.

The arrival of a live mermaid in London from the West Indies has been the occasion of, a vast amount of fine writing in regard to the syrens, sea-nympjis, and other mythical children of the sea. The distinguished fish holds its reception in a tank in the Zoological Gardens ; it has a wellauthenticated tail, on which it obligingly sits up " so as to show itself-in the position which led sailors to speak of a mermaid combing her hair." But there appears to be no other resemblance. One "flipper" slightly raised has been thought by imaginative persons to suggest the hand looking-glass of the legends, while the gentle paddling of the othe'rj when seen in clear water, gives the hand holding the traditional comb. But even this requires effort, and one of the scientific critics, after examining the beast, frankly declared his inability to form an .idea " how sailors, after a day ashore, could see in it anything that, should suggest a mermaid such as jjoets, turning sailors' rough language into verse, have so often described." ;

At the Bristol Police Court, a man named. James Alsbury, employed by the Sanitory Authority, was charged with using seditious language and threatening to shoot the Prince of Wales. The prisoner, while at an inn, in presence, of several respectable persons, threatened fo blow his brains out and to shoot him— referring to the Prince. A witness gave information to the pplice. Steps were taken to lock him up on the day of the Prince's visit.. He, when before the Magistrates, cried, and said he 9id not know what he said owing to an injury to his head. Witnesses stated that he was quite sober and aware of what he was saying, otherwise they would have taken no notice of his conduct. The prisoner hoped to be let off for the sake of his wife and two babies. The Magistrates said he appeared to be a weak-minded person, and uttered a foolish threat without any meaning, and bound him over in his own recognisances to keep the peace for six months.

The Stamboul has published statistics of the English medical attendants and nurses who have fallen victims to zeal For the cause of humanity. The Sbffbi'dhouse Committee employed 35 doctors, 11 of whom were dangerously ill, and two, died. The fled Crescent employed 45,14 of whom were dangerously ill, and .seven died. The Red Cross employed 14, three of whom were severely ill and one died. The Turkish Compassionate Fund employed 11, three of whom were, dangerously ill. The; Charity Sisters employed 40, of whom 27 were ill, and 13 died. Total employed 145, severely ill 68, 23 died....

The Cyprus ladies wear pants: but they don't make fools of themselves by talking about them all the time.