... THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO ITALY. Her Majesty tho Queen passed through Portsmouth on Tuesday en route for the Continent. Preparations had been made at the dockyard for her Majesty's embark- ation, and a platform and covered way were constructed .at th^ Sout^JJ^way. jetty-, Tha general representatives or the press were ex«l«ded frotn every point of vantage in the dockyard. Shol-tly before noon the ...

... Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa Dear Father and Mother,—I now^I^the pleasure to pen you a few lines, hoping they will find you quite well, as they leave me at present. Since I wrote to you last we have had a deal of hard work and terrihl« fighting. But before you receive this letter I exDecfc you have heard something about it by the newspapers. But I will tell you a little about it what I ...

... MONDAY.—The Speaker took the chair at four o'clock. MAILS. In answer to Mr. Baxter, Lord J. MANNERS stated that in 345 instances the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company had incurred penalties during the last eleven years, and had forfeited altogether £58,500. In the new contract the company had abated JB1000 a year of the subsidy. THE C. D. ACTS. In answer to Sir H. Johnstone, The CHANCELLOR ...

... A rather singular matter has just-come to light 'at Portsmouth Dockyard. In going through tho books it was found that there was a surplus of JB2000 which must be spent by the end of the financial year, the 24th iimt. Tn wider, therefore, to spend the money some 400 have foeen employed overtime, some of them making its many as ten days in a week. Most of the men have been placed at work on the ...

... A fire broke out^on ^SuncLy in Jiast JJUUUUU Theatre, Whitechapel, at a quarter W) mue. xna flames were first discovered in the part where the scenery is stored. In a short time the enure imildine was in flames, and was totally destroyed, together with pari of the adjoining premises, before the fire-engines obtained the mastery. The premises are covered by insurance. The theatre has been ...

... A telegram has been addressed to Lieut.-Gen. Sir Samuel Browne, commanding the Afghan ex- pedition, by the Prince of Wales, as follows:—I congratulate you and your brave army on your successes, which, I feel confident, will continue. My thoughts are with the army of Afghanistan, especially with the 10th Hussars and the llth Bengal Cavalry. ...

... The Times correspondent at Ottawa telegraphs the contents of the budget by which the Finance Minister of the Dominion proposed to raise two million dollars by the imposition of differential duties. His proposals are of a very reactionary character, and as an example of the kind of legis- lation which some people would like to see imposed in England their effects will be watched with much ...

... The Times of Monday says :— We have reason to believe that the various announcements which have appeared in the Press relative to the Queen's proposed visit to the Continent are inaccurate. It is the Queen's intention, after the marriage of the Duke of Connaught, to pass a short time at the Italian lakes in strict privacy. ...

... Mr. Jonathan Pavior, the oldest inhabitant of Oxford, and reputed to be in his 101 st year, died in that city on Friday in last week. Mr. Pavior was formerly a bellhanger at Oxford. On Monday the Rev. Dr. James Ingram, minister of the Free Church at Unst, Shetland, died within a month of the completion of his 103rd year, having been born in Aberdeenshire on the 3rd of April, 1776. He was ...

... A CONGREGATION CHOOSING THEIR CLERGYMAN. —It is stated that the living of Ramsholt, Suffolk, having become vacant, the patron-the Rev. H. Canham—has invited the communicants of the parish to nominate two competent clergymen, to one of whom he will present the living. This is a step in advance. ...

... It may be interesting to mention that of 1 537,276 productively industrious New Yorkers, 351,628 are farmers or farm hands; one-half of the working women of the state are house servants, while there are no fewer than 137,416 of the same. Over 150,000 men are engaged as day labourers; the machinists number 14,066; the coopers, 8,971; the iron- foundry operatives, 8,920; the blacksmiths, 19,903; ...

... English sportsmen who contemplate, as doubtless many do, making Cyprus one of their happy hunting grounds with the gun, will be glad to hear that game of various kinds is to be protected by the operation of reasonable laws regarding close times and licences for killing and selling game. The list of shootable and eatable birds and beasts on the island is a lengthy one, including deer, moumon, ...