MAIL ITEMS.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3975, 24 September 1881, Page 1

MAIL ITEMS.

The illness of President Garfield brought about some curious episodes: A Washing* ton telegram of August 19th thus describes the adrent of one adventurous female who • felt she had a mission to'cure him :—• " Another ' crank' appeared at the White House tliis morning about 7 o'clock. She was a handsome woman, young looking, and gare her name as Mary Louise Bern*. inger, of Brooklyn, New York. She lays her father and mother lire at 554 Broadway, Brooklyn. She slated that she bad come from Paris especially to cure the President; that she left Paris forty days ago, and must see the President before 9 o'clock as she could cure him immediately. She sat down on the coping of the irou fence around the White House near the gate, and when a crowd surrounded her. a policeman ordered her away. She quickly replied she wasn't doing any harm, and the officer had betterorder the crowd away. When she was told she could not enter the gate, she gave a small locket, very badly mashed, to a gentleman standing near, and asked him to carry it to the President at once; that he would recognise it and order her instant admission to his bedside. The police took her to headquarters, from whence she was sent to the Government insane asylum. While at headquarterrit was ascertained that she was peculiarly dressed about the waist. She had on. the upper part of a bathing suit, which she said she got at Manahatan beach several days ago. She took off a fancy made skirt, and then it was seen by the officers . that she had on the costume of a ballet* dancer or variety actress, with silk stockings and fancy slippers. She says she is married, and that her husband is foreman of Fire Company 17, in Wiiliamsburg, Brooklyn. It is believed she is a variety actress. She was not at all violent.

The steamship Great .Britain, which was one of the wonders of the period in.,which she was built, and which now lies in the West Float, Birkenhead, has just been offered for sale at the rooms of Messrs Kellock and Co , Liverpool. The Great Britain is of 3270 tons gross and 1795 tons net register. She was tor many years in the Australian trade, in which she made some rapid passages, aud she has also done good service as a troopship. Iv the " bill of particulars " it is stated that her con* struction is of great strength. She is admirably adapted for the cattle trade across the Atlantic, her high 'tween decks and side ports afford grand ventilation. She can carry lire stock on three decks. Her beautiful lines peculiarly adapt heir for a sailship, and with her machinery' taken out she would, it is calculated carry upwards of 4000 tons dead weight. She is 325 ft long, with 50ft. Gin. breadth and and 31 ft. Sin. depth. The biddings begau at £2000 and went up to £0500. There being no advance, the steamer was with* drawn from the sale.

Private news from Kussia is curious and characteristic. For a long time after the horrible catastrophe of the late Czar's death, Alexander 111. had become a prey to the most distressing nervous depres* sion. refusing to stir from the pnlaue unless surrounded by a .formidable esuort, " aud passing his time iv the solitude of his own apartmeuts, always secured from intrusion by bolts and bars. The visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, aroused him iv a great measure from this morbid slate, aud the arguments and persuasions of hit royal brother in-law were so beneficial that a change of sc-nc was consented to, and the departure for Pi terhoff resolved on. Here, to the astonishment of the world,,* com* plete revulsion of feeliDg on the part of the Czar took place for the time ; guards were dispensed with, snrreilJsnco abolished, and the Emperor- walked abroad with the timpross and the Imperial children, and wont, atntngsl the peasants of the village "with the greatest abandon — inquiring concerning their mode of life, their reasons for discontent, and their welfare in general. Iv a abort time he became the idol ,of the village, and not , unfrequently the peasants rushed forward and threw themselves on their knees before him to crave his Messing, ■■ though.he were the Great Archimandrite of the Greek Church Society, was completely nonplussed at this great and sudden change in the attitude of the Czar. Some people thought it duo to the wise

counsel of the Duke of Edinburgh, others to the soothing influence of PeterhofF, the most beautiful spot upon the face pf the earth- But the most popular belief in St. Petersburg is that of the recent drawing of the Imperial horoscope, the result of which has been spread amongst the people. It has been taken by one of tho great astrologers who abound in tho oily aud drive a roaring trade, for tho Russiau people, from the highest to the lowest, all believe in fortune telling. The horoscope is flattering indeed. By an ingenious combination of figures appertaining to the late Czar'B death, with the birth of the present Emperor and that of his sire, it is proved beyond a doubt that the young Czarewitch, who is now only thirteen years old, will not succeed to the throne until lie has attained the ripe age of 76 years. Alexander 111. is to die at six o'clock in the evening of November 26, 1914, aged 99, having reigned for the space of 76 , years. All this is comfortable in perspec tire, and enables the Czav to feel secure in spite of the. Nihilists and their malicious intentions towards him.. Although it is said that the Bradlaugh business is no longer a question of Bradlaugh verses the House of Commons but of Bradlaugh versus the Police, it is certain that the House of Commons has not yet heard the last of the matter. In the discussion which took place imme> diately atter Mr Bradlugh's expulsion on a motion of Mr Labouchere condemn* ing the orders by the speaker as illegal, Mr Gladstone defended the action of the chair, as absolutely essential in the interests of the dignity and tranquillity of the House. The Cabinet, however, it is announced* will hold a meeting almost immediately to consider the course to be iftten with reference to Mr Bradlaugh in the future, and there is very little .doubt that next session there will be introduced' a Bill for the Abolition of the Parliamentary Oath. Such a measure it was intended to have brought forward this Session but the Irish Land Bill has stopped the The Queen has been pleased to appoint Mr William Henry Christie, M.A., F.E.&., to be Astronomer- Eoyal at Greenwich Observatory, in room of Sir G. P. Airy, who lately resigned. Mr Christie has been principal assistant for some time, and his promotion is a well-merited compliment, which men of scinece will recognise to his undoubted ability and fitness for the position.