... This Board met on Friday-present, the Mayor, in the chair, Alderman Alexander, and Councillors Whiffen, P. Bird, Evans, D. Jones, Bowen, Thomas, J. Bird, Totld, Vachell, Elliott, and Jenkins. COLLECTORS' REPORTS. St. John's.—Collected this month X244 3s. I0d.; out- standing of present rate, C1298 10s. Id.; arrears, X41 15s. 4d. Private improvements-collected during the month. 115 lis. 9d. ...

... MERTHYR LOCAL INTELLIGENCE. THE DRAINAGE SCHEME.-The Atlas Company are about to advance the loan of £270,000 to the Board of Health, in order that the drainage scheme may be carried out, which we trust will be promptly. BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—At the meeting on Satur- day the only business of public interest transacted was the adoption of a petition to the House of Lords in favour of the Union ...

... fottrj). ST. DONATT'S CASTLE. (Dr. Came, of Dimlands Castle, having kindly sent Mr. Lewis an order to view the interior of St. Donatt's Castle, the following lines were written to commemo- rate the event.) SAINT DONATT'S CASTLF. on thy massive towers I linger, musing in the noon-tide hours And watch the billows dashing on thy shore, And bear the diapason of their roar, And see the white winged ...

... BUTE DOCK BILLS IN PARLIAMENT. (Continued from 7th Page.) THURSDAY. In consequence of this being Ascension Day, the Committee did not take their seats until two o'clock in the afternoon. Mr. Calvert stated that in compliance with the suggestion of the Committee he had invited propo- sals from the other side for an arrangement, but it ended in nothing. Mr. Davidson said that was not the fault ...

... Superstition.—An American paper states that just after noon on the Sunday prior to the assassina- tion, four large eagles appeared together over the dome of the Capitol at Washington, circling around the head of the statue of Liberty. It was taken at that time to be a good omen of the time coming, and yet so soon falsified by the nation being plunged m sorrow, and universal and sincere regret ...

... WEATHER DURING APRIL, 1865.-The weather was extraordinarily fine from the commencement to the close of the month, no less than twent,y-seven days being regis- tered as fine (without rain), and the rainfall only amounted to 0.69 inches. The temperature on many occasions was remarkably high, as was shewn by a thermometer in the shade on three different occasions rising to 79°, whilst in the sun ...

... NEW YORK, MAY 3. The surrender of Johnston was negotiated with Sherman alone, Grant having simply notified to the latter that the Government disapproved the previous arrangement. The force actually surrendered num- bered 27,000 men, and ineluded Generals Beauregard, Hardy, and Breckenridge, together with the North and South Carolina and the Gulf States Militia. Wade Hampton refused to be ...

... PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS. IT is not often that there is a scene in the House of Lords, butwhen such a thing is anticipated it causes even greater sensation than a similar occurrence in the Commons. I am old enough to remember the celebrated trial of the Earl of Cardigan, for what was termed the black bottle business in connection with Captain Harvey Tuckett. That .nobleman, instead of coming ...

... GREAT THUNDERSTORM. A terrific thunderstorm burst over the town and neighbourhood of Weymouth on Tuesday morning, about half.past one o'clock. For several days past the weather had been in an unsettled state and with variable light winds from nearly all parts of the I compass. The barometer stood at 30 inohes on Satur- day, since which time it gradually fell, although the air temperature has ...

... At the Bouverie-street Police-court lately a number- of persons were brought before Mr. Bull, the sifefSingr magistrate, charged by tha Secretary of the Boyal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal? wlfcJL- cockfighting. The charges were entered thus :-John ivcfyjrs Denison, taking the chair at the Barry A.ring, Weet- minster (better known as the Old Westminster Cock- pit), was ...

... USK AND PONTYPOOL HIGHWAY BOARD. The second meeting of this Board was held at the Town Hall, Usk. on the 13th inst., there being present: Mr. Thomas Watkins, chairman; Mr. John Morgan, vice- chairman; G. R. Greenhow-Relph. Esq.. S. Churchill, Esq., and John Thompson, K»q ex-officio way-wardens, and the following parochial way-wardens:—Mr. Moseley, Glascoed; Mr. Win. Cadle, Gwehelog; Mr. J. ...

... One of the most interesting pieces of evidence which was given before the magistrates at Trowbridge on Thursday, at the examination of C nstance Kent, was the extraordinary statement of Sergeant Watte, viz. That on the Saturday which was the diy when diecovery of the murder was made, he found in the fire-hole-of th(, hot plate of the scullery a garment, which he described as a chemise, but ...