Brussels gave a most hearty reception to the representatives of England, France, and other nationalities, as they marched in procession from the great northern station along the Rue Neuve. Raining though it was in the evening, flags were hung out, torchbearers accompanied the volunteers, and the whole scene was most animated. The square in front of the Hôtel de Ville reached, the spectacle was exceedingly brilliant. The beautiful spire was splendidly illuminated with coloured fires, while from the separate chambers were exhibited red, white, and blue lights. At the tops of five or six houses, at different sides of the place, there were electric lights, which, being directed to certain points, produced the most fantastic effect. At one moment the curious architecture stood out in bold relief; at the next the lights glanced from angle to angle of the square, dancing upon the gendarmes, whose dignity was thus ignored, to the intense amusement of the sightseers. After some little delay, caused by the heartiness of the welcome they received at every step, the battalion, which consisted of three or four hundred men under Colonel Thomson, ascended the staircase to the reception-rooms-the Salle Gothique and the Salle du Christ-two chambers ornamented with splendidly-carved oak work, closely resembling that which was placed not long since in the Guildhall of the city of London. The Salle Gothique is capable of accommodating several hundred persons; but it is probable it never contained so many before as it did on this occasion, when scarcely standing-room was available. Amongst those accompanying M. Anspach, the Burgomaster, were the English Minister, Colonel Wilkinson, and Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Cotton, who wore his uniform of the Court of Lieutenancy, and was generally mistaken for the Lord Mayor, in whose honour a state banquet was given by the King on the previous evening, and who had been compelled to leave Brussels in the morning; M. D'Andrimont, Burgomaster of Liége, and a party who wore scarfs of the Belgian colours, like those which had decorated the ladies who distributed the medals at the Hôtel de Ville, Liége. There were also several of the French Garde, who had not yet felt disposed to leave their hospitable hosts in Brussels. The volunteers were addressed in tones of earnest welcome by the Burgomaster, who said Brussels would never forget the grand reception given to the Belgians in London. Colonel Thomson replied in apt The volunteers were then hospitably entertained at the

terms.

Hôtel de Ville.

The volunteers attended a grand ball on the 25th, at the invitation of the King. The ball was held for a charitable purpose, at the new terminus of the Chemin de Fer du Midi. The station was metamorphosed for the occasion into a splendid ballroom, after the style of the Agricultural Hall, Islington, when the Belgians were entertained there. The King, attended by his suite, the Burgomaster, and the civic authorities, arrived about half-past ten o'clock. His Majesty remained half an hour inspecting the ballroom, and

stated to the committee that it was one of the most beautiful spectacles he had ever seen. The King most generously paid 12,000f. for the admission of the foreign riflemen. The entertainment was brought to an harmonious conclusion at four o'clock. Eight thousand persons were present, and amongst them plenty of ladies, most of whom wore their national colours.

Mr. Lumley, the British Minister, entertained a large number of the English volunteers at dinner prior to their departure.

FUNERAL OF LADY PALMERSTON IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.The widow of Lord Palmerston was buried in her husband's grave in the north transept of Westminster Abbey. From Brockett Hall, where she died, her body had been removed to her town house in Park-lane. At three in the afternoon the procession set forth. The hearse, with its black plumes, was drawn by a team of black-plumed horses, and was followed by three mourning-coaches, in which were Earl Cowper, the Right Hon. W. Cowper, M.P., the Hon. C. Spencer Cowper, the Hon. H. Cowper, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord Ashley, the Hon. Evelyn Ashley, the Hon. Cecil Ashley, Viscount Sudeley, Viscount Jocelyn, the Hon. E. Jocelyn, Dr. Prothero Smith, and Dr. Drage; Mr. Enser and Mr. Newman, Groom of the Chambers, followed in a fourth coach. A long line of private carriages attended, among which were those of Lady Palmerston, the Russian Ambassador, the Turkish Ambassador, Sir H. Lytton Bulwer, Baron Rothschild, Sir George Shee, the Hon. F. Byng, Mrs. Lane Fox, Sir George Bowyer, Mrs. Baker, and others.

A number of ladies and gentlemen were admitted by ticket to the north transept of Westminster Abbey, where the vault was opened close in front of Nollekens's monument of the three naval captains who fell fighting under Admiral Rodney. The space around the vault was somewhat raised, and was covered with matting, the grave being hung with black cloth. At four o'clock the funeral procession arrived at the western door of the abbey, and the choir at once commenced the grand funeral service, chanting "I am the resurrection and the life" as the bier was borne to its temporary resting-place under the lantern. The service was performed by Lord John Thynne, the Sub-Dean, Archdeacon Jennings, and Canon Conway. The pall was then removed, and the coffin was conveyed into the transept, where it was placed beside the grave. It was covered with crimson velvet, relieved with gilt nails and handles. On the top, over the head, was the coronet of a Viscountess. Over the feet was a device representing an extinguished torch passed through a ring formed of a serpent with its tail in its mouth, thus giving the emblems of death and immortality. In the centre was a brass plate, on which was engraved, "Emily Mary, Viscountess Palmerston, born 2nd April, 1787, died 11th Sept., 1869." To the south of the vault stood the Rev. S. F. Jones, precentor, with the Revs. Messrs. Lupton, Antrobus, Harford, and others, while the Rev. Lord John Thynne took his

place at a reading-desk placed there. The bedesmen of the abbey stood round, and at the opposite wall were placed the choristers, who chanted the continuing portion of the service. At the proper moment the coffin was lowered to its final resting-place, and the service was concluded in due form, solemnly and impressively, the mourners standing at the foot of the grave. After the concluding benediction had been uttered they took a last look into the vault, and then slowly departed.

29. MEETING OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE CONGRESS AT BRISTOL.The thirteenth Annual Congress of the Association for Promoting Social Science was opened at Bristol, under the presidency of the Right Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote, M.P. There was Divine service in the cathedral, and the sermon, preached by the Bishop of the diocese, dealt with the whole subject of that which is called Social Science under its religious aspects.

A meeting of the council was held at the Volunteers' Club at one o'clock-Mr. George W. Hastings presiding-when the programme of the proceedings of the congress was considered and approved of, and a vote of thanks passed to Dr. Jarvis, of New York, for a contribution of valuable books.

The Victoria Rooms, in which the opening address was delivered, were crowded by members and associates. Sir Stafford Northcote, without attempting to travel over the wide field of inquiry opened up by the discussions of the Association, offered a few observations upon some portions of it. The relations between Great Britain and her colonies, the limits which the law should place on charitable endowments, the problems to be solved in connexion with the education question, the completion of our system of sanitary organization, the importance of improving the condition of the agricultural labourer, and the results to be expected from the conference of ladies, were amongst the topics touched upon by the right hon. baronet. In the course of his long and able address he was frequently and loudly cheered.

The sections met on the following day, four departments being occupied from day to day in hearing special and voluntary papers read, and in discussing the various subjects. The Department of Jurisprudence and Amendment of the Law was under the direction of Mr. G. Woodyat Hastings. It was divided into the International and Municipal Law Section, and the Reformatory Section; in the second-named section the chairman being Sir J. E. Wilmot, Bart. The Rev. Canon Kingsley presided over the Education Department. Dr. John A. Symonds was the President of the Health Department, and the Right Hon. S. Cave, M.P., assumed the direction of the Economy and Trade Department.

A new feature was incorporated with the programme of the congress this year. This was a Ladies' Conference, which dealt with reformatory industrial schools, employment of women, education of girls, infant mortality, and the management of workhouses.

Of evening meetings there were three. On the 30th the members and associates were entertained by the Mayor of the city, at Colston Hall; on the 31st addresses were delivered to working men; and on Monday a soirée was held at the Victoria Rooms, when Miss Carpenter discoursed on Female Education in India.

Excursions to Cheddon, and to the Bristol training-ship at the mouth of the Avon, were arranged. The actual business of the Congress was brought to a close on October 6, when a general meeting was held in the Fine-Arts Academy.

OCTOBER.

1. TERRIBLE FIREWORK CALAMITY.-The house and shop of a dealer in fireworks at Bayswater were destroyed by the explosion of his dangerous stock, and seven out of thirteen persons then sleeping in the house were killed on the spot.

The particulars of this fearful calamity may be given in a very few words. The house, No. 69, Moscow-road, Queen's-road, was in the occupation of a man named Titheradge, who was a confectioner. Moscow-road is a narrow and little thoroughfare leading out of the Queen's-road, Bayswater, and the building was a sort of four-roomed house, with an underground kitchen at the back. In this house thirteen persons, seven of whom were grown up, lived and slept. The shop, though described as a confectioner's, was what is termed a "general" one, and added fireworks to other articles, and Titheradge was licensed to sell these dangerous articles. At five minutes to three o'clock in the morning the constable who took this road as part of a very long beat happened to be passing near the house, when he heard a noise resembling fireworks, and was startled immediately afterwards by an explosion which blew the front of the shop out, shutters and all. He at once sprang his rattle, and used his best exertions to rouse the people in the place. But egress by the front was impossible almost immediately, as the house must have been in flames instantaneously in the front, and the explosion, to all appearances, went through the two windows over the shop. Of course all who slept in that apartment must have been killed at once. A second policeman came at the alarm of the rattle, and he ran for the engine, which came in fifteen minutes after the alarm. In so small a house the heat of the fire was soon reduced after the engine came, especially as every article in it was destroyed and the house almost gutted before. Then it was found

that Mr. Titheradge, who was an invalid, suffering from a gout attack, had rolled himself down the steps, and had been rescued at the back of the house by one of the firemen. It was believed he and part of his family slept in the parlour. Five other persons, including his wife and two children, escaped by the back also, but on entering the upper part of the house the charred bodies of seven persons were found, three in one room and four in the other. These were the bodies of Mrs. Jack, a widow; Stewart Jack, aged twentyeight; Henry Harding Jack, fourteen; and Agnes Jack, aged seventeen (the children of the first-named deceased). The other three bodies were those of Elizabeth Titheradge, aged nine; Emma Titheradge, seven; and Edward Titheradge, aged three. These bodies were removed to the Paddington dead-house, there to await an inquest. The flooring was burnt through, and some of these bodies were found on the rafters.

9. RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR NOTTINGHAM.-A frightful railway accident occurred on the Midland Railway, resulting in the death of seven persons and the wounding of some others, at the Long Eaton Junction, near Nottingham. It being the great annual October fair at Nottingham, a number of special trains came in from the Midland district. Among these were three specials from Leicester, two of which trains were despatched from Nottingham early in the evening. The last train (to which the accident occurred) left at forty minutes past eleven p.m. The night was exceedingly foggy, and when the last special approached the Long Eaton Junction there was a luggage train on the line. It was, however, discovered in time to prevent the special running into it. It appeared that the couplings had broken, and the carriages had become loose. The luggage train was got away as quickly as possible, but not without delay to the special. In the meantime the North Derby mail train had been despatched from Nottingham, the officials no doubt imagining that the special had not been delayed; and the night, as before stated, being extremely foggy, the special was not seen until too late, and the mail train ran into it with fearful velocity. A scene of the most appalling nature ensued. The enginedriver and stoker escaped almost by miracle. Seven of the passengers by the special were, however, killed. The number of wounded was small, amounting to not a dozen persons. The bodies of the unfortunate persons killed were removed as quickly as possible to the tarpauling-sheet stores at Trent station. Five of the wounded were taken to the Derby Infirmary. Medical assistance was quickly on the spot, and every requisite aid afforded to the sufferers. All exertions were used to clear the line, which was not, however, done until three o'clock the next morning.

Several of the carriages were smashed; but it was a most extraordinary circumstance that the shock was not felt in the fifth carriage from the end carriage run into by the mail train, and the people were laughing and singing songs after the accident had occurred, not knowing why the train had stopped.