T H E T E E S D A L E M E R C U R Y — W E D N E S D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 8, 1865

• ... .

T H E C O U R T .

T H E Cour t baa been held at Osborne dur ing the past week. The Prince and Princess of Wales have been staying w i t h her Majesty on a v i s i t .

T H E weather has been so inclement t h a t her Majesty and the Royal Princesses have confined themselves t o the Palace and grounds, ;

H i s Roya l Highness the Prince of Wales embarked en board the steam yacht A lbe r t a a t half-past eleven o n Saturday morning, and crossed f r o m Oa borne-house t o Portsmouth. A salute o f 21 guns was fired f r o m almost every ship i n t he harbour . H i s R o y a l Highness, accompanied b y Colonel Ponsonby and Captain Grey, disembarked a t t he new landing-place, where the Prince was received b y A d m i r a l Si r Michael Seymour, G.C.B. A single post-chaise, supplied by the Queen's post-master, was i n w a i t i n g , i n t o which his Royal Highness and at tendants entered. The Prince made a complete detour of the fort if ications a t and about Por t smouth . A t about five o'clock his Royal Highness again embarked, under a Roya l salute, the bands on board each ship p lay ing the " N a t i o n a l A n t h e m . " There has no t been such salut ing a t th i s por t since the death of the Prinoe Consort. H i s Roya l Highness re turned t o Osborne the same evening.

M O N D A Y , the 13th i n s t , is the day a t present fixed for her Majesty 's r e t u r n f r o m Osborne t o Windsor , where the Queen w i l l remain u n t i l after Easter.

T H U S Roya l Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales w i l l , i t is supposed, reside p a r t l y at M a r l -borough-house, and pa r t l y a t Frogmore-lodge, du r ing the spr ing.

T H E Prince o f Wales has given 100 guineas i n a id o f the l i censed Victual lers ' B u i l d i n g F u n d .

P O L I T I C A L O Q 8 8 I P .

M R . O ' H A G A N has become an I r i s h j u d g e ; M r . Lawson succeeds h i m as At torney-Genera l .

T H E Papal Cour t has taken vengeance on Cardinal d 'Andrea by ( t o p p i n g his pay. W h e n his deputy made the usual quarter-day's appl ica t ion he was t o l d t ha t the Card ina l must come t o get his money himself.

I T is asserted t h a t the Emperor is s tudy ing ha rd at the relations between the Church and the French Government, and t h a t his address i n a few days w i l l conta in the resul t , i n a ra ther forcible way, o f his invest igat ions.

A C O N G R A T U L A T O R Y address was last week pre­sented, t h r o u g h M r . Eastman, the Amer ican consul o f B r i s t o l , to M r . Abraham L i n c o l n , on his re-election as President o f the U n i t e d States. The address ema­nated f rom the B r i s t o l Emancipat ion Society, and i t s framera declare t ha t resolutions i n accordance w i t h i t s tenour have been on several occasions adopted by large m a j o r i t y of votes by B r i s t o l citizens i n publ ic meet ing assembled.

T H E -special correspondent o f the Telegraph thus wr i tes f rom D u b l i n :-—Yon are are already aware t h a t i n Cork D r . Lyons baa defini t ively and posi t ively re­signed, and t h a t M r . X . D . M u r p h y i s up on the L i b e r a l side. H i s address, however, is n o t though t satisfactory b y some o f the L ibe ra l pa r ty , and a re-

Su i d t i o n is i n course of signature to John F . Maguire , I .P. , t o transfer himself f rom Dungarvan t o Cork .

H i e feel ing of the constituency is said t o be s t rongly i n M r . Maguire 's favour, and a popular subscription has been set on foot t o defray expenses i n the event o f 'his coming fo rward .

T H E appointment o f Serjeant Sul l ivan as I r i s h Sol ici tor - General is announced, and Sir Colman O'Loghlen, M . P . , who was first spoken o f for t h a t office, is t o be made a serjeant-at-law. The fact of Sir Colman being i n Par l iament has, i t is added, pre­vented his becoming law adviser t o the Castle ; and i t is announced t h a t t h a t post, former ly fi l led by Ser­j ean t Sul l ivan , w i l l be assigned to M r . B a r r y , Q.C. A l l the papers are speaking i n the highest terms ef the new judge , M r . O'Hagan.

T H E L ibe ra l electors o f the borough of Woodstock -have the greatest confidence i n the r e tu rn o f the i r re­presentative, M r . M i t c h e l l H e n r y , the gentleman who offers himself to oppose the interests o f the Duke of Mar lborough , who w i l l support M r . B a m e t t , of Glympton-park , i n the room of L o r d A l f r e d Church i l l , the s i t t i n g member. The residents o f the t o w n of Woodstock and K i d l i n g t o n are almost unanimously i n favour o f M r . H e n r y , bu t t he borough comprises a large number of surrounding villages, where t h e duke's influence, i f called to bear upon the eleotion, wou ld be v e r y considerable.

T H E Mayor o f Salford has received the fo l lowing le t ter f rom M r . Massey, M . P . : — " I t h i n k i t r i g h t t o give you the earliest in format ion t ha t I have accepted the appointment o f financial member of the Council of I n d i a , and, consequently, t ha t m y seat i n Par l iament is a t the disposal of m y consti tuents. A l t h o u g h y o u have been my po l i t i ca l opponent, your opposi t ion has -been BO ent i re ly free f rom personal unkindness, t ha t I hope I may be permi t t ed to consider yon as one o f m y pr iva t e fr iends." The announcement of M r . Massey'B ret i rement f rom the representation of Salford has been -followed by immediate steps w i t h a v iew t o the elec­t i o n o f his successor. A meeting o f gentlemen con­nected w i t h the L i b e r a l pa r ty ha* been held. Several names were mentioned, among others t h a t of M r . Benjamin Armi tage , who, i t is believed, wou ld meet w i t h very general support i f he could be induced t o eome fo rward as a candidate.

A K E O J O I B I T I O N t o Captain the H o n . F . A . Stanley, sou of the E a r l of Derby, asking h i m t o become a can­didate for the borough a t the next eleotion, and signed by 1 ,522 o f the electors o f Preston, about two-thirds of the en t i re number o f voters, was taken t o Knowsley , t he seat o f E a r l Derby , o n Thursday, when Captain Stanley expressed his u tmos t willingness t o accept the proposal, and expressed his great pleasure a t being asked t o -do so by such a very numerous body o f the electors o f Preston. The Liberals say they are pre­pared t o prove t h a t several persons i n Preston signed the requis i t ion because they understood i t t o be i n favoar o f L o r d Stanley, and- no t his brother . The Liberals in tend t o b r i n g f o r w a r d M r . G. M e l l y , o f Liverpool , i n the place of M r . C. P. Grenfel l , who w i l l no t seek re-election. Sir T . U . Hesketh w i l l be again " p u t u p " i n the Conservative interest , and i t i s understood t h a t the struggle w i l l l ie between the hon . baronet a n d M r . M e l l y .

L I T E R A T U R E A N D T H E A R T S .

M B . B E O D I E , R.S.A., is t o send t o the Roya l Academy E x h i b i t i o n , shor t ly t o open a t Ed inburgh , a bust o f the L o r d Justice Clerk , a bust o f a lady, and a n emblematic figure of F a i t h , for a monument .

T H E City Press says:—A handsome fu l l - l eng th po r t r a i t of our phi lanthropic fellow-citizen, George Peabody, Esq., w i l l be presented t o the London Cor­porat ion, at the next meeting o f the Cour t o f Common Counci l , b y a gentleman w e l l k n o w n i n the C i t y .

A L L A B O E par t of the collections i l lus t ra t ive o f b u i l d i n g materials and construction, recently exhibi ted i n the temporary i ron bu i ld ing at South Kens ington , has been removed to the South Arcades overlooking the gardens o f the Royal H o r t i c u l t u r a l Society, where i t w i U be again exhibi ted to the public, and the usual faci l i t ies for s tudy and comparison afforded as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.

D o n F E R N A N D O o f Por tugal , the father o f the re igning K i n g , has j u s t sent to the Society o f Aqua-fortiates a proof etching, exh ib i t ing great ab i l i ty . I t represents a funeral o ra t ion pronounced b y a cat over a deceased b r o t h e r ; around the bier i s a orowd o f other cats expressing the i r gr ief i n various ways some wipe the i r eyes, some look upwards w i t h resigns t ion , wh i l e others seem transfixed b y despair, b u t a l l stifle the i r sobs and l is ten t o the orator , who i s seated w i t h intense g r a v i t y on a t u b . T h e subject is a strange one t o select for the purpose, b u t the execu­t i o n of the w o r k proves D o m Fernando t o be a t rue ar t i s t , possessing much comic a b i l i t y .

T H E Executive Committee o f t he D u b l i n In te r ­national E x h i b i t i o n are already commencing the or­ganisation of the i r arrangements for the musical pa r t o f the opening ceremony, wh ich i t is intended shall even surpass theguooess of t h a t a t t he first D u b l i n Exhib i t ion i n 1853. The or.Tnn is being b u i l t b y Messrs. W . H i l l and Son. The orchestra w i l l be arranged on the p lan t r i e d a t B i r m i n g h a m . There are to be about 1,000 performers under the direct ion o f M r . Joseph Robinson. Vocalists w i l l be inv i t ed f rom the ehoirs a t Liverpool , Manchester, Bi rming­h a m , Leeds, Bradford, and other no r the rn towns w i t h i n easy distance of D u b l i n .

T H E tenants upon the Crome estate have et t r r ed nto a subscription for the purpose o f hav ing an

equestrian p o r t r a i t painted o f the noble owner o f i t — the E a r l o f Coventry. The H o n . H e n r y Graves is the a r t i s t engaged, and the por t ra i t , when finished, is t o be presented t o the Countess o f Coventry.

T H E for thcoming Exh ib i t i on o f the Royal Academy remises t c be of unusual interest, j u d g i n g b y the

character o f t he pictures now on the easels of those ar t i s ts t o whom, i n general, we owe the most attrac­t ive examples. M r . E . M . W a r d has a fine subject i n hand ; so also has M r . Thomas Faed, the new Acade­mician. M r . F r i t h ' s pic ture of the R o y a l Wedding , is l ike ly enough t o be the main a t t rac t ion o f the year. M r . H o o k has, for a t ime , a t least, deserted the o a s t s of Cornwal l and Devonshire and the lanes o f Surrey, i n favonr o f Cocameau, on the south-west coast of B r i t t a n y ; i n the nooks and deep sea-worn inlets of th i s p a r t of France, the a r t i s t has no t failed t o discover materials somewhat l i k e those w i t h wh ich he has made us famil iar , b u t sufficiently different t o impa r t a new charm t o his works .

T H E Poet Laureate is a candidate for eleotion in to the Roya l Society. H i s name was amongst those read a t the recent meeting ef the society. The first Thurs­day i n M a r c h is the las t day on w h i c h certificates can be received for the present session.

T H E Sul tan of Turkey , according t o the France, has given orders for the t rans la t ion in to t he T u r k i s h lan­guage of the Emperor Napoleon's " L i f e of Caesar " as soon as i t appears. Messrs. Cassell, Petter, aad Galp in , the publishers of the Engl ish t rans la t ion, have w r i t t e n t o i n f o r m a London contemporary t h a t the w o r k w i l l be en t i t l ed " A H i s t o r y of Jul ius Cajsar."

M . P B O U D H O N , who died i n Paris last week, was a w o r k i n g p r i n t e r ; he bound n p for his own nse a hand­some Bible , doubly interleaved throughout , and he has been for years i n the habi t o f w r i t i n g his own reflections upon these sheets. I t is probable t h a t these commentaries w i l l be published among his post­humous works .

I T is said, says the Spectator, t h a t the weigh t o f paper w r i t t e n upon a t the Mathemat ica l Tr ipos Examina t ion a t Cambridge, i n the eight days, is about eight stone—say the weight of an ordinary woman. There is something almost sad i n the though t o f the scribbled outcome of t w o or three hundred racked and anxious brains being preserved only for bed makers to l i g h t examiners' fires w i t h , or, a t best, t o be used on the clean side for pupi l - room scribbling-paper.

" T H E Study of the H u m a n Face," by Thomas W o o l n o t t , Esq., his tor ical engraver t o the Queen, has j u s t been brought out . The object o f t h i s volume is to rec t i fy the mistakes, ra ther than t o dispute the efficiency of more comprehensive works , b y s imply in t roduc ing no more heads t h a n would be marked by ' the effeots o f those tempers and dispositions w i t h wh ich they are associated. The work is i l lus t ra ted b y twenty-s ix full-page steel engravings, ably and care­ful ly executed, each accompanied by appropriate re­m a r k upon the details i l l u s t r a t i n g the character wh ich the respective forms indicate, such as pride, obstinaey, cunning, conceit (grave), conceit (gay), sagacity, deceit, ma l ign i ty , &o. &c. &o. The author says, " A man may t r ave l f rom D a n t o Beersheba, and ye t no t Bee so much o f the w o r l d as the sk i l fu l physiognomist i n w a l k i n g f rom St. Paul's t o the Exohange, and t h a t too, w i t h o u t t r ave l l ing expenses."

i n a very few days' t r i a l move qui te freely and safely, and s t r ike w i t h the even al ternat ion o f foot w h i c h is absolutely necessary to graceful skat ing. Always lean a l i t t l e f o r w a r d ; t h a t makes falls bo th fewer and easier. W a l k i n g about i n skates on a carpet or l a w n (avoiding gravel walks or any th ing to in jure the edges of the irons) is very good practice for learners t o keep the ankles s t i f f j b u t i t is ra ther uninterest ing, and i t mus t 'no t be expected t o teach any th ing else whatever beyond the one po in t o f stiffness of ankle, though t h a t is a considerable one. These instruct ions, t hough directed t o young ladies, are equally the best for boys. '

T O P I C 8 O P T H E W E E K .

S P O R T S A N D P A S T I M E S .

M B . A L F R E D S M E E ia endeavouring t o make the Medway a salmon stream again. H e has already pro­cured 3,000 salmon ova, w h i c h have a r r ived i n good condi t ion, and have been placed i n the fish-breeding house.

N E M O , " t he correspondent o f t he Morning Tele­graph, w r i t i n g of Breadalbane and Broomielaw, described them as the " M a l t o n dark- 'uns ; " bu t the pr in ter , i n error, designates them the " M a l t o n don-

. s! " The compositor, on i t s being pointed ou t t o h i m , exolaimed, " Nemo me impune lacesset," for whioh p r o m p t rep ly he received the order of the This t le .

H i s R o y a l Highness the Prince of Wales heads the Hat of subscribers to the Grand Nat iona l H u n t Steeple Chase, a t Weatherby, on Wednesday, M a r c h 29th . There are already s ix ty - two subscribers, and, besides the Prince, the l i s t includes the names o f twenty-f ive noblemen and four baronets.

S i x couple o f young hounds, selected f rom the best blood i n England, ar r ived a few days ago a t Prince Napoleon's new h u n t i n g establishment near the forest o f Vi l le fermoy, whioh the Emperor has la te ly made over t o h i m . I n one week four out o f the six couple have died, i n spite of a l l the care Delamot te , first huntsman t o the Prince, has bestowed on them.

C A L L E R OTJ.—This celebrated mare has already pa id for fe i t for the Chester Cup, and i t is s tated on good au tho r i t y t h a t her b r i l l i a n t t u r f career has terminated, and t h a t she w i l l next season be p u t t o the stud. H e r re t i rement w i l l leave Queen's Plates more of an " open q u e s t i o n " than d u r i n g the past three years o f the mare's extraordinary career. I t may be mentioned t h a t Caller Ou won no fewer t h a n twenty-nine Queen's Plates f r o m three t o six years o ld , v iz . , one i n 1861, three i n 1862, fifteen i n 1863, and t e n i n 1861. Fisher­man's scoring i n Queen's Plates was twenty-s ix , obtained as under :—Five a t three years o ld , t en at five years o ld , and one at six years o ld . Rataplan, the next h igh scorer, w o n twenty-one o f her Majesty 's Plates, as under i—Nine at four years o l d and twelve a t five years o l d , so t h a t M r . I ' A n s o n has beaten b o t h those celebrities.

O N Sunday the sever i ty o f the frost had rendered the ice i n the various parks tc le rably firm up to twelve o'clock on t h a t day, and a large number of skaters and sliders were enabled t o indulge i n the i r favour i te exercise. Skaters and sliders mustered s t rongly on the ornamental water i n Re gent's-park, and on the long water and round pond i n Kensington-gardens; b u t the Serpentine, owing t o the weakness of the ice, was comparatively deserted. I t was calculated t h a t upwards o f 100,000 persons entered the enclosure i n St. James's-park alone between t w o and four o'clock. I n Hyde-pork and Kensington-gardens the banks of the Serpentine on bo th sides were filled b y a dense mass of people.

T E A C H I N G L A D I E S T O S K A T E . — A correspondent of t he Field wr i tes as f o l l o w s : " H a v i n g j u s t been ska t ing for the first t ime th i s win te r , and hav ing some hope t h a t now t h a t the frost has come we may have some more o f i t , I am induced t o w r i t e you a few lines on the teaching of ladies. Las t win te r I was favoured w i t h the oppor tun i ty o f supervising the earliest at­tempts of several young ladies, and the experience thus acquired has somewhat modified m y previous views. F o r instance, i n teaching boys I had been accustomed t o t e l l t h e m t o keep the i r toes a l i t t l e more o u t w a r d ; w i t h ladies, I find, t he opposite i n ­s t ruc t ion is more necessary: they seem al t to have been so thoroughly d r i l l ed b y the dancing-master i n to w a l k i n g w i t h t he i r toes out , t h a t i n ska t ing the tendency is t o keep them too much tu rned . Another great f au l t is keeping tee heels close to­gether; the consequence is, t h a t when t o l d t o take a fo rward step, s a y w i t h the r i g h t foot, the heel of the r i g h t passes olose to t he le f t , a n d the foot i s Bet down on the ice w i t h the f u l l inside fo rward , a n d therefore on the outside edge o f the i r o n . N o doubt t h i s is the 'g l i s sade ' of the dancing-master; bu t , w i t h skates on, i t s result is usually a glissade of a less elegant k i n d . The toes should be turned ou t on ly so far t h a t the t w o feet f o r m an angle a l i t t l e more acute than a r i g h t angle (anyth ing beyond t h a t is unsafe and bad). L e t the beginner s tand on the ice w i t h her feet i n t h a t posi t ion, b u t the heels three or four inches apart . L e t her then lean s l igh t ly fo rward , and t r y t o walk, moving each foot al ternately, b u t a t first l i f t i n g the foot very l i t t l e indeed, and moving i t fo rward only a few inches. F o r the first h a l f hour she may have the support o f one hand f rom her teacher or a fr iend j after t ha t i t w i l l no t be necessary, and she w i l l be better w i t h o u t i t . The lesson is no t t o be h u r r i e d ; no at tempts a t roya l roads, no lugging about between t w o skaters, no stieks : a l l these are real hindrances, teach bad habits, and give dependence i n place o f i n ­dependence. The learner must keep i n m i n d always the r e tu rn to the correct posi t ion o f the feet, strive to keep her ankles stiff, and her feet f rom s l id ing . I f she feels imminent , instead o f m a k i n g f rant ic efforts t o gave herself, l e t her ra ther subside as easily and gracefully as she can. Such efforts t o save, a t least w i t h a beginner, usually cause a severe f a l l , instead of an easy one. T o t r y t o keep the skate f rom sl iding, is , of course, j u s t t r y i n g t o keep i t under command. The skate sliding is the u l t imate end, and i t may therefore seem strange t o givedirections to s tr ive t o prevent i t ; bu t the s l id ing w i l l come of i tself soon enough, and wha t is wanted at first is con t ro l over the skate. Mos t beginners commence w i t h a l i t t l e push from one foot, and a l i t t l e slide o n b o t h ; then another l i t t l e push (generally f rom the same foot) , and another l i t t l e slide, and so on—a thoroughly bad way of learning, though o f coarse i t can be acquired t h a t w a y ; and the bad habits can afterwards be got q u i t of w i t h care and a t tent ion, b u t i t is far bet ter to avoid ever hav ing them. B y the mode I have indicated, i f i t is f a i th fu l ly and pa t ien t ly acted upon, a better result is obtained i n a far less t ime . I have known more t h a n one young lady i n a couple o f hours learn to stand w i t h perfeot confidence, and move about by herself —slowly indeed, ba t wi thou t muoh risk of fall ing—and

T H E M A L T T A X — T h e only serious obstacle to re­duct ion o f the mal t - tax du ty t h a t men no t i n t e n t on compell ing reduct ion of ren t as _ a panacea for a l l troubles w i l l , we t h i n k , recognise, is the financial one. W i l l no t the collection of two- th i rds of the mal t - tax cost as much as the collection of three-thirds ? T h a t is, we fear, qui te certain, but then i t is t rue also o f a l l customs duties no t entirely abolished. W i l l no t a reduction o f the malt- tax reduce great ly the r e t u r n f rom spir i ts , and so cost the exchequer too much? T h a t seems to us, we confess, more t h a n probable, bu t i t must be remembered tha t , i f the man who drank spir i ts took t o beer instead, t h o revenue w o u l d lose very l i t t l e , and the recuperative power of t h i s tax is as yet almost an u n k n o w n quant i ty . O f course any such reduction must be accompanied by a revision of the licensing laws. So long as a few score b rewing firms are enabled t o main ta in a monopoly o f t he r i g h t t o re t a i l beer so long w i l l beer remain dear, l e t the mal t -tax be reduced as much as i t w i l l . F i f t y or s ixty families, b y combining, could, as matters s tand, almost p u t the amount of the reduct ion i n t o the i r o w n pockets, but t h a t very pleasant arrangement is no t one t h a t can last . The prop o f the monopoly is the tax , wh ich makes i t almost impossible for smal l capital ists t o enter the trade, and t h a t gone or sensibly reduced, competi t ion under l i m i t e d l i a b i l i t y w i l l ve ry soon force the great firms, who have h i ther to sold the i r shares as i f they had been landed estates, i n t o an open marke t . I t may be dear to the Chancellor o f the Exchequer t h a t the loss f rom the sp i r i t du ty wou ld be unbearable, and we are quite ready to t r u s t M r . Glad­stone on the po in t , b u t we snbmit i t is there, and n o t i n any fanciful class interest, t h a t the t rue h i t ch occurs. I f the money cannot be spared w i t h o u t too much r i s k the farmers must submit, b u t t o t e l l t h e m tha t they are no t t o be relieved because " indus t ry " has the first c la im is w o r t h y o f T o r y po l i t i c ians ; b u t the doctrine, and i n most cases the practice, is t o con­sider the na t ion before any class whatever. I f b y cheapening beer lands now worthless can be made profitable, as the farmers say, every class i n the na­t i o n , f r o m the land lord who takes the ren t t o the cotton-spinner w h o buys unadulterated beer, w i l l be equally benefited.—Spectator.

T H E B I S H O P O E L O N D O N ' S F U N D . — T h e Board of Management of the' Bishop o f London's F u n d has issued i t s first repor t . Inc lud ing a l l the contr ibut ions received since i t s first i n s t i t u t i on , a year and a ha l f ago, the sum has reached one hundred thousand pounds s ter l ing, asked for b y the Diocesan. The pay­ment, by one cont r ibu t ion , o f many o f the more costly donations has considerably assisted i n procur ing these results. The real t r i a l o f the success o f t he appeal awaits the conclusion of t he second year, when these larger sums w i l l disappear f rom the account. I f there be any fai lure i n the amount of the subscriptions, i t w i l l no t arise f rom lack o f efforts on the pa r t o f the Bishop and o f his Execut ive Committee, who proved themselves, du r ing the last twelve months, unceasing i n the i r applications t o the clergy and churchwardens o f the diocese for the i r a id and assistance. A s the resul t o f these impor tuni t ies they obtained the sum of nine thousand pounds by offertory collections. The proceeds of the fund h i the r to subscribed have been so fa r dis­t r i b u t e d and forestalled t h a t on ly twen ty - two thousand pounds remain undisposed o f ; and the fifty new dis t r ic ts proposed t o be formed under the auspices o f a com­mittee, appointed for the selection of the d is t r ic ts most requi r ing help, are compelled t o wa i t the prospective replenishing of t he fund. Whatever be the cause— whether the objects of the fund are too diverse, o r the proposed estimate of one clergyman t o t w o thousand persona be too h igh , or the wants po in ted o u t be sus­pected o f exaggeration—it cannot be disguised t ha t th i s appeal has no t received a general and w i l l i n g sup­po r t f r o m the wea l thy capitalists and extensive em­ployers o f labour i n the metropolis . I f t h i s had been the case there wou ld have been no diff iculty i n obtain­i n g the annual aura asked fo r by the Bishop, w i t h o u t resor t ing t o t he clergy and churchwardens, and re­q u i r i n g collections f rom parishes, many o f w h i c h are already overburdened w i t h a f u l l complement o f de­mands fo r the i r o w n parochial wants . A n ex­t r ao rd ina ry effort should be conducted t o a suc­cessful end w i t h i t s o w n special machinery, w i t h o u t any in t rus ion npon exis t ing charities. Leeds, Sheffield, Bradfo rd , Canterbury, and other impor t an t towns can meet l ibera l ly and cheerfully large calls upon the employers o f labour. London would no t be surpassed or outshone by any provinc ia l capital i f i t s residents were once thoroughly aroused to a convict ion o f t he necessity and o f t he advisable-ness o f t he appeal presented t o them. The Bishop ef London has ye t t o learn the Becret by w h i c h he may w i n the f u l l sympathy of the great body of the laymen i n his diocese t o a hear ty co-operation i n his plans.— Press.

H I B f T S U P O N G A R D E N I N G . — • —

Sow a l i t t l e o f every k i n d o f k i tchen crop, and a few main sowings of beans and peas. E a r l y crops of radishes and lettuces may be go t on slopes, w i t h the help o f a few reed or s t raw hurdles, t o give shelter f rom east winds. P u t on a good bread th o f young let tuce on a gentle hotbed, for p l a n t i n g on t a few weeks hence.

M E L O N S t o be p u t o u t on the i r f r u i t i n g beds as soon as they have filled 48-Bized pots w i t h roots. They are too often starved i n pots , under the fallacious no t ion t h a t when planted out they w i l l soon recover; they should be kept i n vigorous g r o w t h f rom the first, and when tu rned ou t have an ample and heal thy foliage. I n m a k i n g up the f r u i t i n g bed, nse very l i t t l e manure. The dung bed should be in a sweet condi t ion t o give a las t ing and steady heat, and the soi l for t he surface should consist chiefly o f r o t t e d t u r f and loam inc l in ing t o d a y .

N E B I U M S require t o be s tar ted i n a b r i sk , mois t heat, and t o have abundance o f water as B O O S as the sap i s f a i r l y i n mot ion . See t h a t they are free f r o m scale and a l l other ve rmin . O l d plants should be shaken ou t and repot ted i n equal parts peat, loam, leaf-mo old, and ro t t ed cow-dung. Snor t cut t ings roo t qu ick ly i n phials of water .

O B A N U E T R E E S t o be v e i l cleaned before new g r o w t h commences. Top-dress w i t h fa t dung, and give the roots a good soaking w i t h t ep id water .

O R C H I D S w i l l i n m a n y cases require t o be repotted, after w h i c h they must have t he warmest end o f the house. Those t h a t do n o t need a sh i f t should have a l i t t l e o f the o l d snrfaoe mater ia l removed, and i t s place supplied w i t h f r e sh ; a t the same time make fastenings safe, and repair blocks and baskets.

P E A C H E S and other orchard-house trees w i l l set the i r f r u i t more freely i f there is a good breeze th rough the house every d a y ; the atmosphere, at t he same time, t o be kept as d r y as possible. Those t h a t have set the i r f r u i t may have l i q u i d manure. Peaches t h a t have set f r u i t t o be th inned par t i a l ly , so as t o leave room fo r another t h i n n i n g . Cold draughts or ex­cessive damp may cause the f ru i t s t o f a l l . Keep tho temperature steady, and give a i r freely on fine mornings. S ta r t another l o t b y syr ing ing the trees frequently, and g i v i n g the i r roots a good soaking w i t h w a r m water . Po t up maiden trees for f r u i t i n g next year ; use s t rong t u r f y loam, w i t h nodules of clay and a smal l p ropor t ion o f ro t t en dung . R a m i n the stuff as b a r d as i f fo r a b u n floor. Leave t w o inches of dea r space a t the top o f the p o t for a mulch o f f a t dung, and give a good soaking o f water . P u t t he trees i n the orchard-house or a cool p i t : i t is n o t w d l t o force t h e m i n t o g r o w t h immediately after being newly po t ted .

R A N U N C U L U S E S A N D A N E M O N E S t o be planted now i n beds o f sound loam, we l l drained and wel l manured. Place the roots claws downwards, t w o inches deep. The safest method is t o open trenches, whioh are t o be spr inkled w i t h coarse sand, on whioh the tubers are t o be placed, and then covered w i t h the soil t h a t was taken out .

R O S E S may be planted now t o advantage, and plan­ta t ions t h a t need t renching and manur ing may be l i f t ed for the purpose. W e are advocates fo r l i f t i n g roses annual ly , and ours are now'undergoing t he pro­cess. P u t stakes t o a l l newly-planted standards, as i f they rook about i n the w i n d they may suffer so much

in ju ry b y s t ra in ing of ' the roots as t o die i n the course of t h e spr ing . Be i n bo haste t o prune roses y e t ; a few f o r early bloom may be out back, b u t the general stock should remain unpruned a few weeks.

R H O D O D E N D R O N S . — T r e a t the same as directed for azaleas, b u t less heat w i l l suffice t o b r i n g them out . The S i k k i m rhododendrons w i l l do best i n t he camellia house, or i n a lean-to w i t h n o r t h aspect.

S T R A W B E R R I E S coining i n t o f r u i t need abundance of water , and occasionally l i q u i d manure. Give as much a i r and l i g h t as possible t o ensure well-flavoured f r u i t , and those tha t set heavy crops t h i n t o a moderate number, or the berries w i l l be small .

V I N E S started now Wil l no t need so much caution as to ra is ing the temperature as those s tar ted i n Decem­ber and January, as there is now more solar l i g h t , and vegetation is active. Use the syringe freely among vines newly breaking, l i n t spar ingly or no t a t a l l t o vines in flower. Th i s is a good time t o p u t i n eyes for ra is ing a stock o f po t vines. The best p lan is t o pu t the eyes singly i n : a mix tu re o f t u r f y loam and leaf-mould, and plunge t he pots i n a bark bed or dnng frame, w i t h a b o t t o m heat o f seventy t o e ighty degrees. Vines i n the early house t o be th inned as soon as t he berries are o f sufficient size. T ie i n the young shoots, and remove laterals early, so as t o ac­complish the p run ing as much as possible w i t h the finger and t h u m b . Be par t icu lar to lower t he tem­perature a t n i g h t . V e r y many of the failures i n grape g rowing arise th rough! too h igh a n igh t temperature. — Gardener's Weekly I Magazine and Floricultural Cabinet.

OTJE M I S C E L L A N Y . H o m e a n d F r i e n d s . —

Oh ! there's a power t o make each hour As sweet as heaven designed i t ; '

N o r need we roam to b r ing i t home, Though few there be tha t find i t .

W e seek too h i g h for th ings olose by, A n d lose wha t Na ture found u s ;

F o r l i fe hath here no charms so dear As home and friends around us.

W e oft destroy the present j o y F o r future hopes—and praise t h e m ;

W h i l s t flowers as sweet b loom a t our feet I f we ' d b u t stoop! t o raise t h e m !

F o r th ings afar s t i l l sweeter are W h e n youth 's b r igh t spell h a t h bound u s ;

B u t soon we're t aught t ha t ear th ha th naught L i k e home and friends around us.

T h e friends t h a t speed i n t ime o f need, W h e n hope's last reed is shaken,

D o show us s t i l l , tha t come wha t w i l l , W e are n o t quite forsaken.

Though a l l were n igh t , i f b u t the l i g h t F r o m friendship's a l tar c rewn 'd us,

' T w o n l d prove the; bliss of ea r th was t h i s — Our home and friends around us.

—Sunday Times' Contributor, Comic E p i t a p h s . i - r l n T i v e r t o n Church :—

" H o ! h o ! whet lies here ? "Tie I , the E a r l of Devonshire ; W i t h Ka te , m y wife, t o me f u l l dear, W e l i ved together fifty-five year.

T h a t w e spent we h a d ; T h a t wo lef t we l o s t ; T h a t wei gave we have."

I n the d d Church of A l l Saints, Newcastle, is found the f o l l o w i n g : —

" Here lies poor Wallace, The Prince of good fellows,

Clerk o f AUhallows A n d maker o f bellows.

H e bellows d i d make t i l l the day o f his death, B u t he t h a t made bellows could never make brea th . "

P r a c t i c a l C r i t i c i s m . — A Yankee, w h o late ly went t o see Macbeth, gave the fo l l owing as his n o t i o n of the t r agedy :—" A f t e r hav ing witnessed t he per­formance, f r o m wha t I | could make ont o f the p lay , I don ' t t h i n k Macbeth was a good, mora l character ; and his lady appeared t o me to possess a t a r n a t i o n dicta­t o r i a l temper, and t o jhave exceedingly loose not ions of hospi ta l i ty , which) together w i t h an unpleasant hab i t of t a l k i n g t o herself, and w a l k i n g about en chemise, must make her a decidedly unpleasant com­panion ."

T i t l e o f M a j e s t y . — W e believe H e n r y V H I . was the first Eng l i sh Sovereign who was styled " H i s Majes ty ." The t i t les o f E n g l i s h Sovereigns have undergone many changes: H e n r y I V . was " H i s G r a c e ; " H e n r y V I . , ' ' H i s Excel lent Grace E d w a r d W . , v H i g h and M i g h t y P r i n o e ; " H e n r y V I I . , " H i s Grace," and " H i s H i g h n e s s ; " H e n r y VJJX, first ' ' H i s Highness ," and then " H i j Majesty." " H i s Sacred Majesty " was the t i t l e assumed by subsequent Sovereigns, wh ich was afterwards changed t o " M o s t Excel lent Majes ty ." ' 11

T a b l e - R a p p i n g Dupes .—Table - rapp ing was a marked improvement o n table- turning, and has gradually g rown into a k i n d o f sp i r i t ua l i n s t i t u t i o n . A l t h o u g h i t dates front remote a n t i q u i t y , i t s earliest professor o f note i n this count ry was a n Amer ican lady, M r s . Hayden. A n alphabet was placed i n your h a n d ; y o u passed your fingers d o w l y along i t , and marked the l e t t e r when there was a r ap . The result was the promised revelation. She fai led completely w i t h the w r i t e r o f th is , w h o took care n o t t o pause or hesitate a t the required let ters d u r i n g the opera t ion ; and as he walked away w i t h h i s introducer, a clever and eccentric peer, he observed tha t i t was unlucky the spir i ts w o u l d n o t at tend. " B u t they d i d , " was the reply, " only they Iwere l y i n g spi r i t s " — f o r g e t t i n g t ha t the sole p roof o f the i r presence w a s the veraci ty of their communications. On our remarking recently t o a lady convert t h a t M r . Anderson's r app ing a t St. James's H a l l was much superior t o M r s . Hayden's, o r M r . Home's , she replied, " O h , yes, b u t t ha t , you know, is only oonjuring."—Eraser s Magazine.

C h i n e s e H a w k i n g . — H a w k i n g is one o f the amusements o f t he n o r t h of China. Th i s forenoon D r . Lamprey , o f t he 67th Regiment, w h o has some knowledge of t he language, went ou t w i t h about a dozen Chinamen o n the p la in beyond Sang-ko-lin-sin's F o l l y , as t he fourteen miles o f ea r thwork inves t ing the wal led d t y are now called. They extended them­selves i n l ine a t cer ta in distances f r o m each other, and as s o o n as the Chinese greyhound star ted a hare the h o o d was removed f r o m the hawk, w h i c h one o f the men carried on h is w r i s t , and i t shot off after the hare — B o o n hovered over I t , and descending w i t h force, fixed i t s talons i n his back. The sportsmen t h e n made a l l haste np , otherwise tile hare wou ld soon have been picked t o pieces. A s an i l l u s t r a t ion of the unaoquaint-ance o f the Chinese w i t h the use o f firearms for the purposes o f sport , D r . Lamprey could no t persuade them t o take a shot a t any th ing w i t h his gun, and he describes t he i r astonishment as something intense when he managed t o j b r i n g down a qua i l flying, and the impression made {was so great, t h a t they men­t ioned the occurrence- to every one they met, and drew a t t en t ion to the wonderful weapon b y wh ich the feat had been effected.—"Bri t i sh Arm in China and Japan." by D. F. Rennie, M.D.

E s q u i m a u x D e x t e r i t y . — On his way to the ship he discovered a seal hole, bu t , being hur r i ed for t ime , he merely erected a smal l pi le o f snow near a t hand, and squirted tobaooo-juioe a s a m a r k upon i t . On his r e t u r n he readily found the hole by th i s mark , and, though he f d t t he necessity o f hastening o n to our relief, and had received ins t ruct ions f r o m the captain to h u r r y forward, ye t he determined to t r y for the prize b y spending t h e n i g h t i n a t t e m p t i n g to gain i t . Accordingly, b ind ing m y shawl and various furs around his feet and legs, he took his posi t ion, spear i n hand, over . t he seal-hole. Th i s hole was buried i n t w o feet o f (now, and had been first detected by the keen sagacity o f one o f t he dogs w i t h h i m . Ebierbing, whi l e watch ing , first t h r u s t the spindle shank o f the spear a score e f times down th rough the snow, u n t i l he finally h i t t he small aperture leading through t h e ice. I t was a dark n igh t , and this made i t t he more difficult, fer, i n s t r i k i n g a t a seal, i t w i l l n o t do to miss t he exact spot where the animal comes to breathe—no, n o t by a quarter o f a n inch. B u t , t o make sure of being l i g h t when a iming, Ebierbing p u t some dark t u k t o o ha i r d i rec t ly after i t , and thus, after pa t ien t ly watching t he whole n igh t long, he was re­warded i n the ear ly morn ing by hearing the seal blow. I n a moment more he captured i t by a well-directed a im o f his spear.—tXfe among the Esquimaux.

D o e s I c e S i n k p—What becomes o f th i s iee ? H a d one l a in i n w a i t for i t t w o hundred miles far ther south, i t is doubt fu l } f he would have seen o f i t even a vestige. I t cannot mel t away s o q u i c k l y ; a day amidst i t satisfies any one o f so muoh. W h i t h e r does i t go ? P u t t h a t question t o a sealer or a fisherman and he w i l l answer " j i t s inks." " B u t , " replies t h a t cheerful and confident gentleman, M r . Cur ren t I m ­pression, " i c e does n o t s i n k ; i t f l o a t s . " Grave scienoe too, l ays the same. I believe t h a t ignorance is right

for onoe. Y o u are becalmed i n the midst of f loating ioe ; the current boars you and i t together, bu t next morn ing the iee has vanished 1 You rub y o u eyes, bu t the fact is n o t one to be rubbed o u t ; the ine was! and i sn ' t t h e r e ! N o evidenoe exists t ha t i t can fly-l i k e riches, therefore I t h i n k i t ( i n k s . I have seen i t , too, no t indeed i n the very act c f s inking , bu t so water-legged as barely to keep i t s noae o u t A block, four oubio feet i n dimension, l ay a t a subsequent t ime beside the ship, and there was no t a po r t i on bigger than a child's fist above water . Wa tch ing i t again, when i t has been to lerably wel l sweltered, you w i l l s s » air-babbies incessantly esoaping. Eviden t ly , the a i r wh ich i t contains i s g iv ing place to water. N o w , i t i a this air, I judge, w h i c h keeps i t afloat, and when t h e process of displacement is sufficiently gone e n w h a t can i t do b u t d rown, as men do under the c i r cum­stances ? This reasoning may be wrong, but the f a c t remains. The reasoning is chiefly a guess; j a t . till otherwise informed, I shal l say the iee lungs get f u l l o f water and i t goes down.—Atlant ic J fo iUMy.

I n t e r m e n t s n e a r t h e P r o p h e t — T h e greater number of the bodies b rought to Kerbelah are s imply carried in to the mosque, k i d down on the tomb o f Hoeeiu, a n d t h e n brought o u t and bur ied anywhere i n the cemeteries or i n p i t s dug for the purpose. I t i s qui te sufficient t h a t a corpse be near tha t of the P r o ­phet to be ,i« .ured t h a t o n the last day the saint w i l l take i t , reuni ted to the soul, under his protect ion, and lead i t t o the joys o f everlasting happiness. A smal l tax is levied a t the. gate by the T u r k i s h Government upon every coffin brought i n t o the town, and nume­rous are the at tempts mads by pious ye t economical sons and brothers to defraud the revenue o f the sum thus raised. A short t ime before the per iod of our v i s i t , a man who was k n o w n no t t o belong t o the t o w n was observed b y the astute sentry b r i n g i n g i n a bag o f barley, which the u p ­r i g h t soldier, who suspected a t r i c k , and whom nothing, but a br ibe could cor rup t ( i n t h i s case the delinquent was too poor to offer one), insisted on examining Underneath a covering o f barley was found t he skeleton of the bearer's father , w h i c h he was thus placing surrept i t iously , and w i t h o u t paying the usual tax for suoh a benefit, under the guardianship of the saint. A double fee was at once demanded f rom t h e detected cheater o f the Sultan, bu t whether h i s piety and affection stood such a test we were n o t in fo rmed . B u t few bodies are admi t ted in to the town a t a t i m e , . as they ar r ive a t some periods o f the year i n such, numbers t ha t , i f a l l were permi t ted to enter together, disease m i g h t ensue, and i n addi t ion the streets w o u l d , be too thronged for passage. A thousand sometimes a r r ive b y a single oaravan, wh ich is also aceompauied by a vast number o f devotees, mak ing a k i n d of minor , hadj, or pilgrimage.—Ussher's Journey from London to-Persepclit,

A BEAR HUNT. Koojesse was steering, when, suddenly t a k i n g u p

m y spy-glass, and d i rec t ing i t to some islets near Oopnngnewing, he a i e d ou t , " N i n o o ! N i n o o ! " This was enough to make each o f the boat 's crew spr ing i n t o new l i fe , fo r of a l l game they del ight i n , Ninoo is the ohief. They s tar ted ahead w i t h fresh vigour, the women pu l l i ng hard , b u t as noiselessly as they could , and the men loaded the i r guns ready for the a t tack. I relieved Koojesse a t the steering oar, W h e n w e first saw Ninoo we were about t w o miles d is tant f r o m h i m , and I could perceive th i s " l i o n of t he N o r t h " l y i n g down, apparently asleep; b u t when w i t h i n h a l f a mile Ninoo saw us, raised himself upon his haunches, looked around, then fixedly a t us, and off he s tar ted . Immediate ly the men began to make some most hideous, noises, whioh arrested Ninoo i n his course, and < h i m t o t u r n round . Th i s was wha t we wanted, to ga in t ime i n the ohase w h i c h had now begun. B u t N i n o o was no t so easily entrapped. H i s stay was only for a moment . Off he went again, dy ing over the is land, and qu ick ly disappearing. Then , w i t h a s t rong p u l l , and a firm, steady one, the boat was sent s w i f t l y d e n g . Presently a po in t of t he islet where he had seen Ninoo was rounded, and again we beheld h i m far ahead of us, swimming d i rec t for Oopungnewing. T h i s encouraged the I n n n i t s . They renewed the i r shouts w i t h o u t intermission. Eve ry now and then the object e f our -pursuit wou ld wheel his huge fotnv around, and take a look a t his pursuers ; and new the. chase became very exci t ing. W e were gaining on h i m . Ninoo saw this , and therefore t r i e d to baffle us. He suddenly changed his course, and went oa t d i r ec t ly fer t he middle o f the bay. I n an ins tan t we d i d t he same, the o ld crazy boat bounding forward-as s w i f t l y aa our oarsmen c o d a propel i t i n the h e a v y sea t h a t t hen prevailed. B n t we could no t gain npon h i m . H e seemed to know t h a t his l i fe was i n jeopardy, aad o n he went w i t h o u t any more s topping, when he heard a noise. The " v o i c e o f the c h a r m e r " no longer b a d charms or aught else f o r h i m . H e had t o make a i l speed away; and th i s he d i d a t about four miles per hour, s t r i k i n g out more and more i n t o t he open b a , . Once he so changed his course t ha t by some dexterous movement o f ours we succeeded i n c u t t i n g across his wake, and th i s gave us an oppor tun i ty to fire. W e d i d so, b n t only t he ba l l of Koojesse's gun took effect. Ninoo was s t ruck i n the head, bu t the poor brute a t first merely shook himself, and t u r n e d his course trem down the bay i n a contrary d i rec t ion . T h e shot, however, had t o l d . I n a moment o r t w o we could see t h a t N inoo was ge t t ing enraged. Every now and then he wou ld take a look at us and shake his head. Th i s made t he T «n»<(» very cautious about l e s s e n i n g the distance between h i m and the boat. Aga in we fired. One or more shots took effect. Ninoo 's wh i t e c o a t was crimsoned wi th , blood about his head, and he was g e t t i n g desperate. H i s movements were errat ic , b u t we finally drove i n the direct ion o f Oopnngnewing, our policy being to make h i m tow his o w n carcase as near the land as w o d d be safe to prevent his escape, and then to end his l i fe . Th i s was accomplished when w i t h i n about one-eighth o f a mi le f r o m the island. The last shot was fired, and Ninoo ins tan t ly dropped h is head wi th - , on t mak ing another mo t ion . W e now nulled to h i m . H e was qui te dead, and we a t once took h i m i n t o w by fastening a walrus thong around his lower j a w , i t s huge tusks effectually serving to keep t he noose f r o m s l i p p i n g off. Thus we towed oar prise along, u n t i l , T e a c h i n g the land, we hauled h i m o n shore, add made our t h i r d encampment upon the south-west side o f Oopungnewing Island.—Life with the Esquimau*.

D e s e r t i o n s f r o m t h e A r m y e f t h e P o t o m a c . — A le t ter f rom the army o f t he Potomac, dated Jan . 9th , i n one o f the N e w Y o r k papers, says: " Yesterday four executions took place here, three being shot t o death and one hung—the la t te r fo r deserting to the enemy. A l l w h o are found g u i l t y o f th i s crime are hanged, whi l e those g u i l t y o f s imply deserting are shot. The people o f the N o r t h have very l i t t l e idea of t he large number e f desertions daily occurring f rom our ranks , t he ma jo r i ty o f whom, being substitutes or conscripts, go over to the enemy and cla im the benefits o f the order issued last summer by Gen. Lee, offering them subsistence and t ransporta t ion to enable them to reach the i r homes. A day or t w o since, no less t h a n f o r t y men are a d d to have deserted f rom one regiment a lone; and scarcely a n igh t passes dur ing wh ich a number are not found missing. W e cer ta inly lose t en for every one we get. On the 23rd nH. a de­serter was shot, whose pardon ar r ived t he day f o l ­l o w i n g . "

J o h n B r o w n . - I f ex-Governor Wise , o f V i r g i n i a , who approved John Brown ' s death sentence, eouH now enter the par lour o f his o w n fami ly mansion on the east branch o f the Elizabeth r ive r , about 8 miles south of Nor fo lk , he w o d d tee there a photograph, handsomely wreathed i n laurel , o f t h e man w h o m " s o d is marching o n . " Wise 's f a r m has bean confis­cated by the Government, and several schools for con­trabands are located upon i t , the teachers occupying the house as a reddenoe, and n u k i n g th i s appropr ia te deooration i n the par lour .—Ant i -S lavery Standard.

A n E c c e n t r i c L e t t e r — T h e fo l lowing curious communication was sent las t week to the treasurer o f the Al l iance , i n Manchester : " A gentleman, who perhaps t o some people may seem a l i t t l e odd and eccentrio i n his notions, is desirous of devot ing to h i t country 's good the sum of fifty-five pounds e t e r h t g . L ike most other Engl i shmen—in many respect*—he i s proud o f his nat ion 's name; and though be bat con­siderable respect for her Majesty's Chancellor of the Exchequer, he, neverthdess, feels a preference for the Executive of the U n i t e d K i n g d o m All ianee for the Suppression o f t he L ique r Traff ic ; t h a t is to say, he has a crotchet somehow t h a t th is body of gentlemen may be able to spend the sum alluded to i n a bet ter cause than even the advocacy of cheap wineshops. The amount is herein enclosed, and a due acknow­ledgment o f the same i n the Alliance A'ttes e f Satur­day next w i l l very much oblige yours, very sincerely, One w h o wishes t o See the Day when Drunkemu ehall be B l o t t e d f rom the Escutcheon c f B r i t a i n . <