... The Finance Committee of the Free Church of Scotland have agreed to accept the offer made of payment in full, without interest, of the sum due to the Church by the City of Glasgow Bank. The Church is a creditor to a large amount. Rather a singular case has been heard at the County Court at Sittingbourne-that of Alex- ander «•• Crayford. In the original action the item i» dispute was a ...

... DEATH OF MR. C. B. FOX. The hand of Death is ever busy, but on some occa- sions its stroke falls with startling suddenness, and prostrates an individual better known than others among his fellow-citizens. We regrot to have to re- cord that in the instance now to be noted, the victim of the fatal stroke is Mr. Charles Burton Fox. Clerk of the Peace for this County, and the fell blow was wholly ...

... ACCIDENT TO A BREWER.—On Christmas Day, at Shrewsbury, a brewer, named Wm. Owen, fell into a vat of boiling worts, at the Bell Inn, Princess street. aitd was fearfully scalded. The Fife and Clackmannan coalmasters have posted a notice inviting a representative work- man from each colliery to confer with them, in order to fix on a sliding scale for regulating wages. CHRISTMAS IN GARRISON.—On ...

... 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 ? ...

... The chemical works of Messrs. ^Roberts, Dale, and ^°'t which have been stopped for some I months, will resume full work on the 1st of January. The Euphrates troopship left Portsmouth on Dec. 2-ith for India, with drafts numbering 1200 men, many of whom will go on to Afghan- istan. A large crowd saw the ship off, and heartily cheered the outgoing soldiers. One of t henewsst specimens of ...

... INQUESTS.— On Saturday an inquest was held at the house of a man named Exall, at tha Mardy, upon the body of an infant named Sarah Exall. The mother had the child in bed with her on Christmas night, and it was all right, as she thought, at three o'clock, but at five o'clock the little thing was dead at her side. The medical evidence showed that deceased died from oonvulsions. Verdict, Death ...

... 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 ...

... SUPPOSED LOSS OF FORTY LIVES. A special cable message received at Lloyd's from Havana states that the fine iron steamer Kensington, 1401 tons, bound from Liverpool to Havannah, with a full cargo, is four weeks over- due, and as nething has been heard of her since she left the Mersey, it is feared that she has foundered in the Atlantic with her crew of forty men. She was a very fine vessel, OWl ...

... COUNTY POLICE.—On Monday David Edmunds, assistant overseer for the parish of Llangovan, was brought up in custody charged with having, on or about the 28th of March last, embezzled the sum of jE50 and upwards, the moneys of the joint overseers of the parish. The prisoner absconded at the time, and it was said that he had reached America, but on the 23rd of December he returned, and on the 24th ...

... ENCOUNTER WITH A DEVIL-FISH-^ The devil-fish has been creating some excIte: dí Belfast, Victoria. Mr. Smale,the Governmen his was working some 20 feet under water, when hand was suddenly seized by a large octOPO > tunately he was able to get hold of an iron ba his right; but having to make back-handed stn>j was with much difficulty that he succeeded j y himself from his frightful assailant ...

... COUNTY POLICE.—SATURDAY. [Magistrates: T. GRATRKX, Esq., (M cha^d' J 1 COKDES, Esq., M.P., F. J. HALL, Esq., and J. FIBBANK, Esq.] T_w:g Atkins, a lad, was dealing a coat, the property of Edward Paraons, at Coedkefnew.-Prosecutor sard he was a caniener, and lived at Coedkernew with his father, On the 16th of March last prisoner came to thexr house Lid asked for employment. Witness's father ...

... At Birmingham, on Monday, Henry Joseph Hop. kins, farmer, of Northampton, was charged on remand with having, in 1875, obtained by false pretences £ 134. 14s. from the Birmingham Agri- cultural Exhibition Society. Evidence was given that the defendant gave a fictitious entry of his bull, 44 Grand Patriot the 2nd, which gained the first prize. Mr. Allsopp, M.P., who upbsequently bought the bull ...