... The directors of the National Provincial Bank oi England have ordered a bonus of 10 per cent to be presented to the officers and clerks of the company upon their salaries for the year 1867. It is rumoured that Her Majesty proposes to show her sense of the valuable assistance she hasreceived in her literary labours from Mr. Theodore Martin by con- ferring upon him the honour of knighthood. ...

... ACCIDENT AT WESTON-SUPER-.MARE.-On Wed- nesday evening, as Mr. Henry Davies, of Weston-super- Mare, was returning in his carriage, accompanied by his man servant, an accident of a somewhat serious charac- ter befell him. It appears that as he was passing near Phillips's Royal Potteries, some men who had been out shooting discharged a gun close by the road. The horse took fright and bolted at a ...

... Her Majesty's steam slollp Shearwater has arrived at Wool- wich to be paid off. On having the Straits of Magellan, i ominander Smith had his attention called to two strange- lo. king beings on the rocks. They were at first thought to be Pataironian savages, and were regarded with some suspicion, t ut they turned out to be two Englishmen in a dreadfully emaciated state, and almost naked. They ...

... The usual weekly meeting of this Board wns held at the Workhouse on Saturday, E. W. Pavid, Esq., in the chair. There were also present the Rev. T. H. Jones (vice-chairman). the Rev. C. Lewis, and H. J. Thomas; Alderman Pride; Dr. Taylor; Messrs. R. Cory, J. Cory, C. French, P. Bird, W. Ainsley, T. Williams, S. Marks, &c. The Master of the Workhouse reported that. during the week 58 paupers had ...

... TO THE EDITOR OF THE UARDIAN. SIR,-In your account of the Ch^tmas decotions at St. John's Church, in your last eek's imprsion, you remark that a want of cOlllMeness at uni- formity of design marred the genal effect al pro- duced a result very inferior to thaof last ye. I do not wish to combat thlaccuracy)f this criticism, but, in justice to thetdies whltook so much pains in adorning our pash ...

... DUTIES ON PORTUGUESE WINEs.-The Chancellor of the Exchequer states through his secretary 'hat Her 1 Majesty's Government have, after full deliberation and inquiry, felt it their duty to decline the proposals for reducing the duties on Portuguese wines imported into ( Great Britain which have been submitted by the Portu- guese Government as a basis for the negotiation of a commercial treaty ...

... FIREs.-The Secretary of the Sun Fire Insurance Office stated to the Commons' select comnllttee of last session, on fires, that careiessnes^in using lucifer matches causes to that office a loss of £HJ:.ü.)O a year. Surely statements of this kind should induce the Fire Offices and the public to do everything in their power to encourage the sale of Bryant and May's Patent Safety Matches, WHICH ...

... GENERAL NEWS. The three hundredth representation of Der Freis- chutz has been given at Dresden. Dickens is reported to have been taking notes of the New York police stations at midnight. It is stated that Co!. Hoe is getting up a press to print on both sides of a sheet at the same time. Madame Volpini is engagedfor the forthcoming sea- son of the Grand Opera at St. Petersburg. Several Indian ...

... J,NORTH-EASTEKN RAILWAY. — This Company has tired of the ten hours system. It will be recollected that on the occasion of the strike, last spring, one of the points con- ceded to the engine-drivers and firemen was ten hours per day, and two hours the quarter-day overtime. This has been fouud not to work, and this mouth the old system of twelve hours per day, aad two-and-a-half the quarter ever ...

... STUDENTS of tho events of the past tell us that History repeats itself. The same law that governs the fate of nations seems also to intervene in the episodes of our town, and local occurrences have a surprising, and nob altogether pleasant, re-productiveness, which might be regarded as a harmless quality, did it not also seem sug- gestive of danger. The action of tho Merthyr Tydfll Gas ...

... FACETIAE. A DANCING MASTER'S PARADISE.—A hop garden] Young ladies are said to be uniformly attracted to mili- tary men. When a person well replenishes a fire, how does it feel ?—Grateful! What is the best remedy for & flagging of spirits ?— A flagon of wine. What perfume smells most of the Roman Catholic Churoh ?—Pot*Pourri (Popery.) A stupid witness, being asked what a certain perwn died of, ...

... A DANCING MASTER'S PARADISE.—A hop garden Young ladies are said to be uniformly attracted to mili- tary men. When a person well replenishes a fire, how does it feel ?—Grateful! What is the best remedy for a flagging of spirits ?— A flagon of wine. What perfume smells most of the Roman Catholic Church?—Pot-Pourri (Popery.) A stupid witness, being asked what a certain person died of, said, He ...