are, it is said, to come into operation on the 1st of
January next; and, if France shall accede to them, it
will be possible to send a despatch in a very few minutes
from Trieste to Calais or Ostend.

In the new act to amend the law of evidence, which
will come into force on the first day of next month, there
is a most important provision, which will Prevent the
necessity of suits in Equity to obtain an inspection of
Documents. It is enacted that, "whenever any action
or other legal proceedings shall henceforth be pending
in any of the superior courts of common law at
Westminster, or Dublin, or the Court of Common Pleas for
the county palatine of Lancaster, or the Court of Pleas
for the county of Durham, such court, and each of the
judges thereof, may respectively, on application made
for such purpose by either of the litigants, compel the
opposite party to allow the party making the application
to inspect all documents in the custody, or under the
control of such opposite party relating to such action or
other legal proceeding, and if necessary to take examined
copies of the same, or to procure the same to be duly
stamped, in all cases in which previous to the passing of
this act a discovery might have been obtained by filing
a bill or other proceeding in a court of equity, at the
instance of the party so making application as aforesaid
to the said court or judge." This act has a retrospective
effect with regard to the examination of plaintiffs
and defendants—both are not only competent, but
"compellable'' to give evidence.

An important return respecting the Expenses of
Actions in County Courts, has been printed among the
papers ordered by the House of Lords. It will be seen that
considerable fees can be saved by suitors agreeing without
a public hearing. The costs of an ordinary defended
action, for any amount between 20l. and 50l., are
3l. 11s. 8d.; for any action not exceeding 1l., the costs
are 2s. 11d. , not exceeding 2l., the costs are 6s. 4d.;
above 2l. and not exceeding 20l., the expense is 3s. 7d.
in the pound. About half only of the causes in which
plaints are entered are tried, and by that means the
suitors in cases between 20l. and 50l. save the hearing
fee of 2l. 3s. 4d., and the bailiffs fee of 1s. 8d., together
2l. 5s., thereby reducing the costs to 1l. 6s. 8d. In any
case where a counsel or an attorney is employed, the
above costs do not include any fee paid to them, nor do
they include the costs of witnesses. In no case under
5l. are the costs of counsel or attorneys allowed. Thus
it will be seen that parties, by arranging as to terms, can
materially lessen the expenses.

Penny Omnibuses began to run on the 21st inst.
The line of route selected was Oxford Street, and
passengers were conveyed from the end of Tottenham
Court-road to the Edgeware Road for one penny. The
vehicles were abundantly patronised. They started
from either end every ten minutes, and no sooner was
one set of passengers put down than double the number
the vehicle could accommodate were struggling for seats.
It is understood that the entire leading thoroughfares of
the metropolis have been parcelled into one penny and
twopenny stages, and that omnibuses are forthwith to be
put on for the conveyance of passengers at those rates.

The privilege of Selling Newspapers and Books at
the Railway Stations of the South-Western Railway
Company has been leased to Messrs. Smith, the news
agents of the Strand, for 1000l. a-year.

The National Freehold Land Society is extending its
operations in the southern counties. It has made another
valuable purchase, consisting of an estate at Chichester,
within three-quarters of a mile south-east of the city
walls, on the Bognor-road. The estate is already laid
out in a picturesque manner, and is intersected by a
good road running from east to west, called Whickham-
road. At a meeting of the society, held at Chichester
a few evenings ago, to celebrate this acquisition, the
chair was occupied by the Rev. W. Maiden, a clergyman
of the place. Mr. Clarke, of Walthamstow,
delivered an address, in which he pointed out the
desirability of the industrious classes availing themselves
of this excellent opportunity of obtaining the franchise
by such a small outlay. Mr. Whittingham, the
secretary of the society, detailed its operations from the
commencement, showing that the scheme had flourished
far beyond the most sanguine anticipations. He trusted
that the advantages held out by their having obtained
an estate in close proximity to the stronghold of
Protection would not be lost sight of; at the same time he
disclaimed any political bias for the society, its object
being to widen the franchise for the benefit of all
parties.

The annual meeting of the friends and supporters of
the Tonbridge Chapel Sunday Schools and Evening
Ragged Schools took place on the 22nd inst., and was
numerously attended. The Rev. J. Woodwark, the
minister of the chapel, presided. Mr. Puckett, the
secretary, read the report, from which it appeared that
this ragged school had been established as a supplement
to the Agartown School, in connexion with the Ragged
School Union. It was conducted entirely by voluntary
teachers; and the committee had to regret that a larger
number did not tender their services. Many children
were anxious to attend on these long evenings; but the
committee were obliged to limit the attendance
according to the number of teachers. The present
number of scholars in the Sunday school was 453—215
boys and 238 girls; of teachers 38—15 male and 23
female. In the branch school the number on the books
was 361, of teachers 14. The average attendance at the
Sunday evening ragged school was 40 girls and 50 boys;
making a total of 904 who were under instruction. A
valuable auxiliary to the schools was a circulating
library, which was much prized by the children, and
was also beneficial to their parents; but it was crippled
in its usefulness through want of the necessary funds to
procure new books. The treasurer's account showed a
balance of 2l. due to the officer, which the meeting were
asked to aid in liquidating, as well as to provide the
necessary expenses of the management of the schools for
the next half-year.

The following important order has been issued by the
Postmaster-General:—"On and from the 1st of November
next, all letters or packets posted at any provincial
post-office for places within the United Kingdom, must
either be pre-paid by stamps, or be sent unpaid, as money
prepayment for inland letters will no longer be permitted
at any such office."

The Electric Telegraph has just been introduced into
the principal school at Bishopswearmouth; the wires
being laid throughout the establishment, and the orders
of the head master being instantaneously transmitted to
the associates and servants.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE.

The Queen left her Highland residence of Balmoral
on the 7th, and arrived at Windsor Castle on the 11th.
During her Majesty's progress homewards, she visited
Liverpool and Manchester, in pursuance of her intention,
announced a considerable time before; and
magnificent preparations accordingly were made for her
reception.

In her Majesty's journey between Balmoral and
Edinburgh, two railway casualties took place. Near
Forfar the axle of one of the carriages took fire from
friction, and some delay was incurred in taking off the
carriage. At Broomhouse, about thirteen miles from
Edinburgh, a slight explosion was heard, and the
carriages became enveloped in steam; the engine
gradually lost power, and came to a dead stand. It was
found that one of the feeding-pipes leading from the
tender to the boiler of the engine had burst. A train
from Glasgow was nearly due, danger-signals were
despatched down the line, and every precaution was
taken to prevent any accident. The Queen, on being
made aware of the cause of the delay, evinced her
usual self-possession and considerate composure; assuring
the directors of the railway who were in the train
witli their engineer, that she had the fullest confidence
in their judgment and discretion. A fresh engine
was attached to the carriages just as the Glasgow
train came slowly up, and stopped at a safe distance
in the rear. The delay caused by the accident was
upwards of an hour. The Queen arrived safely at
Edinburgh about eight o'clock in the evening, and drove to
Holyrood, amid the acclamations of an immense