... Many of the metropolitan charities have just received some large sums as donations which will go a long way to enable them to balance, their accounts at the Christmas quarter. A maiden lady, Miss Harriet Hurst, late of Stamford and Chester terrace, Regent's Park, died a few months ago, leaving a large sum of money, invested in Three per Cent. Consols, at the absolute discretion of her ...

... A clerk named George Heard, living at Round- greet, who with his wife and two children has been reported starving, although they refuse to enter the workhouse, came before the Luton Board of Guardians on Monday. He has an idea that his father rendered great scientific services to the country, and says he spent £14,000 in perfect- ing the purification of coal gas. This he has pressed on both ...

... The North Wales express, which leaves Holyhead for London at two a.m., came into collision on Saturday morning with a goods train between Llanfair and Meoai-bridge stations, on the North Western Railway. A goods train left Holyhead about midnight, passing Llanfair station about two a.m., when, between that station, in Anglesey, and the Menai-bridge station, in Carnarvonshire, the passenger ...

... Another survivor who has arrived in Liverpool de- scribes the prompt efforts made te stop the leak in the steamer Borussia, when it was discovered. The steam pumps were set to work, and for a time it was hoped that the efforts would be successful, but the water flowed in ao rapidly that it washed the coal out of the bunkers, and the pumps were choked. They were cleared several times and again ...

... A COOL WITNESS.—A certain manufacturer, o Bradford, who had made a composition with hi creditors, was under cross-examination at the Leed Assizes. 11 Now, sir, cried Mr. Bagwig, ferociously Attend to me Were you not in difficulties a few months ago? Noa. What, sir? I ask you again-and pray be careful in answering, for you are upon your oath-were you not in difficulties some months ago ? ...

... NOVEL MODE OF ANNOYING SALVATIONISTS. At the Thames Police Court, on Saturday, Edward Freeborn, a young man, was summoned before Mr. Lushington for annoying members oi the 41 Salvation Army. For some time past a gang of roughs have been in the practice of inter- fering with the members of the sect as they went to their chapel in Charles street, Millwall, and interrupting Divine service. On ...

... THIS WEEK'S STORMS. During this week Newport and neighbouring places have been visited by very stormy weather. Day and night the wind has blown strongly, and occasionally very heavy squalls, with downpours of rain and some- times snow. In various parts of the town chimney pots have suffered, but we have not heard of any par- ticular damage being done. A storm of great violence raged on Tuesday ...

... THE MYSTERIOUS DEATHS OF TWO YOUNG MEN IN NORTH YORKSHIRE. On Saturday Dr. Wood, the North Riding coroner, farther adjourned for one week the in- quiry opened on the 18th Dec. into the mysterious deaths of the two young men Hicks and Atkinson, who are suspected to have been poisoned near Rosedale, North Yorkshire. A letter was read from Dr. Scattergood, the eminent analyist, of Leeds, who had ...

... I Mr. Rivers Wilson has received the reward of bis services in Egypt by being made a Knight of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. Mr. John Colledge, addressing a meeting of colliers in the Bedworth district, last week, re- ferred to the strike just ended in favour of the employers. The victory for the owners was, he considered, due to the circumstance that for a long time past there had ...

... CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 28th.—Ahmed Moukbtar Pasha has issued a proclamation to the inhabi- tants of Gussinje and Plava stating that these districts now belong to Montenegro, and an- nouncing that the Ottoman Government will pro- vide means of conveying people and establishing them in other localities. The proclamation adds that those who do not avail themselves of these arrangements will be left ...

... THE PARIS FASHIONS. The fashion of wearing muffs with evening dresses is both novel and original, and doubtless has been suggested by the small white lace muffs with a bouquet of flowers that have been recently seen at day fetes. Muffs are now worn with low dresses; sometimes they are carried in the hand, and sometimes they are in the form of a pocket and attached to the dress, just as the ...

... £5 fine was inflicted at the Royal Court, Jersey, on Saturday, on Victor Richard, a French farmer, for permitting a raffle for a horse to be held in his house. The police did not proceed against him for originating the raffle, or he would have had to pay a penalty of £ 20. The delegates of the colliers who sought an in- terview with Mr. Fisher Smith, the chairman of the Dudley coal trade, have ...