e Vrobintes.

Monday is the day appointed for the Newcastle nomination, and Tuesday for the polling. Mr. Colquhoun is the Tory, and Mr. Harris the Liberal candidate ; and both are in the borough canvassing.

The Times publishes the following reply from Sir James Graham to the members of the " Protestant Confederation " of Birmingham, who had forwarded an address for presentation to the Queen-

- Whilehall.4th June 1892.

" Sir—I am directed by Secretary Sir James Graham to acknowledge the receipt of a written paper addressed to her Majesty in the fullowiug terms-

' TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT NAIESTE.

Most Gracious Sovereign—We, your Majesty's most twal and dutiful subjects, the members of the Pr, testant Confederation of Loyal Oraugemen of Birmingham and its vicinity, beg leave most humbly to approach your Majesty's throne with the moat heartfelt abhorrence of the treasonable attempt which has been made upon your Ma- jestra life and person.

• And while we would on one hand tame that Divine Providence which has thrice protected your Majesty from the baud of an assassin, we would also implore the same Diviue Providence that it may coutinue to watch over and protect your Majesty from treasonable violence and Popish machination. • Signed on behalf of the Confederation, • W. Puree,,. Grand District Master, G, Smallbrook Street. ' W. GREATWOOD. Worshipful Master. Prince of Wales's Lodge.'

And I am to inform you that Sir James Graham is of opinion, this is an address which be ought not to present to her Majesty for acceptance. " 1 am, Sir, your obedient servant, " S. M. Puttaares. " To Mr. W. French."

In Rochdale, which rejoices in returning to Parliament the only avowed Chartist in the House of Commons, two meetings of very different descriptions were held on Monday evening. The Chartists, under the chairmanship of Mr. Thomas Livesey, had a gathering in the open air, for the purpose of addressing the Queen to dismiss her Ministers, dissolve the Parliament, and nominate a Chartist Cabinet. The attendants were far from numerous, and they did not comprise one leading Whig—Chadwicks, Heaps, Schofields, even John Bright himself, were away. The proposed address was adopted, and the meet- ing dispersed quietly. The other meeting was one of the Conservative Association and "the friends of the Monarchy," to address the Queen on her escape : it was well attended, "for the shortness of the notice." Mr. Roby presided ; and appealed to his conduct as a proof of his loyalty, for alleged breach of which he had been taunted as "a miscreant O'Connell.' Several speeches were made. One speaker, in adverting to the comparative benefits conferred on the country by the respective governments of Sir Robert Peel and Lord John Russell, says a correspondent, "quoted with good effect from the leading article of the Spectator of the 28th May." The address, which was as carried with acclamation, appears in our ad-

vertising columns. •

Ascot Races began on Tuesday, with unusual brilliancy, though with less than the expected attendance. The sportsmen, however, were gratified by good sport, and the sight-seers by a plentiful show of great folks. The Queen and Prince Albert arrived at a quarter to one o'clock, from Windsor Castle, accompanied by the Counts Meusdorff and a large party, in seven open carriages and two pony-phaetons-and- four. Of the party were the Duke and Dutchess of Buccleuch, the Duke and Dutchess of Bedford, the Marquis of Normanby, Lord and Lady Wbarncliffe, the Earl of Aberdeen, and several of the Household. Among the company on the course were the Duke of Beaufort, the Mar- quis of Clanricarde, the Marquis of Westminster, and Lard Cardigan. The races were numerous. The Trial Plate of 501., added to a Sweep- stakes of Si. each, was won in a canter by Lord Westminster's Satirist, ridden by Robinson, from six other horses. The Sweepstakes of 200 sovereigns each were the prize of the same nobleman's Auckland, ridden by the same jockey, who had two antagonists : the pace was moderate, and the race won easily. Mr. Forth's Vibration, bestridden by Bell, beat ten other horses in the race for the Ascot Stakes of 25 sovereigns each and 100 added- " Betting-4 to 1 against Rhodanthe, 4 to 1 against Tamburini, 6 to 1 against Mosque, 5 to 1 against 1-am-not-Aware, 8 to 1 against E 0, 8 to 1 against Vibration, and 9 to 1 against Hyllus. " The first running was made by I-am-not-Aware and Mosque; right and left of whom, and well laid up, were Rhodanthe, Snowdrop, Tamburim, E 0, and William de Fortibus; behind them were Una and Revoke ; and three or four lengths in the rear of all, Hyllus and Vibration. At a good but not superior pace, the position continued as we have described to the top turn, when Rho- dandle took the lead from I-am-not-Aware, and made strong play to the turn for straight running ; by which time Snowdrop, I-am-not-Aware, Revoke, and Mosque, had had enough of it. Hyllus and Vibration, who had creeping up from the Old Mile-post, now showed in front, headed Rhodanthe at the distance, and finished the race ; Vibration winning easily by a length. Tam- burial ices a bad third, Rbodanthe fourth, and 1-am-not-Aware fifth."

Eight horses raced for the Gold Vase given by the Queen and added to a Sweepstakes of 20 sovereigns each ; and it was gained, after a splen- did run, by Mr. Pettit's St. Francis, Robinson being again the winning jockey. Rogers, on Lord George Bentinck's Misdeal, won the St. James's Plate Stakes of 100 sovereigns each ; Nat, on Sir Gilbert Heathcote's bay colt by Glaucus, the Two-year-old Sweepstakes of 50 sovereigns each ; Robinson, on the Duke of Bedford's Envoy, the Ascot Derby Stakes, of 500 sovereigns each.

Wednesday was an " off day," and the attendance was thin ; but the racing was not bad. The winners were—of the Swinley Stakes, Mr. Shelley's Iole, which walked over the course ; of the Coronation Stakes, Lord Exeter's Touchstone, ridden by Mann ; of the 100 sovereigns Sweepstakes, Mr. Gregory's Barrier, under Robinson ; of the 50/. Plate, Mr. Wreford's filly by Taurus,ridden by Howlett ; of the Queen's Plate of 100 guineas, Mr. Nightingale's Ajax, ridden by Sly.

The roads to Ascot were more crowded on Thursday morning. As early as five o'clock, several carriages passed through Egham, with ladies in them asleep, proceeding betimes to take their station for the spectacle. At noon, the heath was covered with a gay and animated throng. Shortly after one o'clock, vociferous cheers announced the ar- rival of the Royal party, in the same carriages as on Tuesday. • With the Queen and Prince Albert rode the Duke and Dutchess of Saxe Meiningen ; in the second carriage, were the Dutchess of Bent and Count Mensdorff; in the third, the Duke of Wellington and the Duke and Dutchess of Sutherland ; other visiters at the Castle and the suite filling the rest. In ten minutes afterwards the racing began. The Windsor Castle Stakes, of 100 sovereigns each, was the first prize ; it fell to Lord Exeter's Touchstone, ridden by Mann. The Buckingham Palace Stakes, of 200 sovereigns each, were won in a canter by Nat, on Mr. Greville's Gunter. An indifferent race by ten horses, for the Windsor Town Plate of 501., ended in awarding the prize to Mr. Graydon's Miss Heathcote. The next contest was for the Gold Cup, valued at 300/. ; and the victor jockey was Cartwright, who rode Mr. Orde's Beeswing- " Betting—Even on Lanercost, 7 to 2 against St. Francis, 4 to 1 against The Nob, 6 to 1 against Beeswing, and 20 to 1 against Eringo. Eringo was first from the post, and kept in front for a quarter of a mile; the mare then overpowered her jockey, and went away- with a good lead, followed by Eriztgo, Lanercost lying third, The Nob fourth, and St. Francis last. In making the top turn the pace became severe, but no alteration in the places was observable until they reached the brick•kiln, where Lanercost was beaten, and at the turn he was last in the race. Eringo held the second place to the stand, where The Nob passed him and challenged the mare ; for a moment he beaded her, but the 'pride of the North' resumed her position in a couple of strides, and after a fine race, won by half a length ; St. Francis was a good third; the others were beaten off. Lanercost pulled up lame." Robinson again helped Lord Westminster's Auckland to beat three other horses, in a race for a Sweepstakes of 100 sovereigns each. Mr. Coleman's Jamel was ridden by Nat in winning a race of three horses for a Sweepstakes of 30 sovereigns each. The Grand Stand Plate of 100 sovereigns (handicap) was the last of the prizes : eight horses ran for it, and the first in was Mr. Mare's Argos, ridden by Crouch, in a smart race.

The Royal party left the ground after Beeswing's race.

The races closed yesterday. For the Wok ingham Stakes, first class, fourteen horses started ; the winner being Mr. Gardinor's Monops, under the jockeyship of Chapple : for the second class thirteen horses ran, and Lord Stradbroke's Jeremy Diddler, under Bartholomew, con- quered. A Sweepstakes of ten sovereigns was won by Mr. Clarke's Vakeel ; and the Selling Stakes, of five sovereigns each, by Mr. Philli- more's Rochester.

At eleven o'clock on Wednesday morning, the immense wooden roof of Ely Cathedral was found to be on fire. The performance of service was going on, and it was hastily brought to a close. The inhabitants assembled in large numbers, and with great exertion the fire was ex- tinguished without doing much injury. A spark from a fire, kindled by plumbers who were making repairs, had set light to the timbers.

One of the oldest cotton-mills in Manchester, near the Pin Mill Bow, called "the Old Mill" was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning. It was the property of Mr. L. Willan of Lancaster, who had put up new machinery. The whole damage was 8,000/. ; and about 120 people will be temporarily thrown out of work.