... The Marquis of Salisbury presided on Tuesday over the annual dinner of the West Herts Agricultural Society, held in the Corn Exchange, Watford, and in proposing the toast Prosperity to the West Herts Agricultural Society, said: It is the misfortune of an interest like the agricultural interest, that it is so powerful; that it has many friends, and its many friends take the opportunity of its ...

... On Dec. 18th, Dr. Wood, the North Yorkshire coroner, opened an inquiry into the extraordinary cases of suspected poisoning at Hamer, near Rose- dale, a lonely place on the North Yorkshire moors, to reach which a gang of men had to be employed cutting a road through the snow for the coroner to get up. Evidence was then given that two fine young men, each 6 feet in height and 21 years old, named ...

... A NEW EARTH. BLACK, empty, bare, across that Eastern sky, High on the barren hill, three crosses stand, And slowly-crimsoning sunset stains the land For very shame that such a man could die. Hear'st thou again th' exceeding bitter cry, Father, take home my soul!' That little band Of weary watchers strives to understand, But cannot yet. See how the shadows lie The very earth seems clasped by ...

... Rumours of a burial scandal of a somewhat peculiar character were current in Luton last week, it being generally circulated and believed that a corpse had been taken to the Church cemetery for burial, that no clergyman could be found to perform the service, and that the coffin had been left in the chapel until next morning. The fact that the deceased person who was not interred without so much ...

... RETURN OF THE OCEANIC TO THE MERSEY.— It seems only the other day when this splendid steamer, the pioneer of the White Star fleet, arrived in the Mersey from the hands of her designers and builders, Messrs. Harland and Wolff, of Belfast. Since then she has earned for herself a great reputa- tion on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. After accomplishing 51 voyages in the Atlantic service ...

... BREAD RIOTS AT RAVENNA. A Telegram from Rome on Wednesday night states that, in consequence of the distress prevail- ing, bread riots have occured in the district of Ravenna. ...

... A NEWPORT SOLICITOR IMPRISONED.—On Tues- day, at the Middlesex Sessions, before Mr Prentice, Q.C., Charles Blake, 33, a solicitor, was indicted for obtaining by false pretences, one valuable se- curity, value €100, the property of Eugene Wasson, with intent to defraud. Mr Masterman prosecuted. ME Gill defended the prisoner.—Mr Gill made a long address on behalf of the prisoner at the close of ...

... MONMOUTH. THEFT OF Monday morning, informa- tion was received at the Monmouth police office that had been stolen from Mrs Nutty's lodg- ing-house. It was found that Mrs Nutty kept her money secreted under her bed, and her room-door always locked. The money was stolen on Monday. ...

... MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.—On Saturday, Thomas Lewis and a man named Nicholas Rimron were employed at the bottom of the shaft at Cymmer Colliery, and were in the act of pushing a tram loaded with pitwood across the cage, when the en. gine driver had a signal for the cage to ascend. Rimron was taken up, and Lewis suspended to it. The machinery was not stopped until the cage had ascended about 150 yards ...

... The card room hands in the employ of Messrs. Qrmerod Brothers' mill at Todmorton have accepted a further 5 per cent, wages reduction. It iastated that Dr. Seaton, who not long since succeeded Dr. Simon as medical officer of the Local Government Board, has resigned his appointment. The captain and six hands of the Norwegian barque Clara, lost at Hasborough Sands have been landed at Harwicy the ...

... TWENTY-TWO HOURS IN OPEN BOATS. On Monday seven of the crew of the Swansea brig Ottawa were landed at Liverpool by the steamer Marahense, from Para, their vessel having been wrecked off the Brazilian coast, 180 miles from Para, on Oct. 31. The vessel struck a bank, and became a wreck. The crew of eight hands took to the boats, and, after beating about for 22 hours, were fallen in with by a ...

... CARDIFF COFFEE TAVERN COMPANY. — The first coffee tavern in connectiou with the above Company was opened on Wednesday by Lord Aberdare. The builuiug is not a new one, and is situate at the end of Old Whitmore-lane and Bute-street. It was formerly a pawnbroker's establishment, and when the Cardiff improvements were carried out, this house was pur- chased by the Coffee Tavern Company and altered ...