THE LONDON MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.
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On Sunday, at the Congregational  Church, Cockermouth, sermons to advance the
objects of the London Missionary  Society were preached by Mr. Robinson
PLUMMER, Cockermouth, and Mr. LORD,  previously a missionary at Madagascar.

 On Tuesday evening, a public meeting to  further the same cause was held in
the chapel, when the Rev. R. BURROWS,  Workington, presided, and was supported
on the platform by the Rev. C. BINGANT,  Wesleyan minister, Cockermouth; and
Mr. LORD, the deputation from the London  Society. There was a fair attendance
of the public.

 Mr. LORD, in his address, referred at  length to the dealings of the French
with the people of Madagascar, and said  that the French action had not had a
adverse effect upon the Christianity of the  natives. To show the spirit of
Christianity evinced by the people of the island,  he said that although the
French were bombarding towns on the north west coast,  the Queen of Madagascar
ordered that 70 or 80 French merchants, priests and nuns  should be conveyed by
an escort of soldiers to a town on the sea coast, where  they could be put on
one of the French men-of-war, and they were actually  allowed to go on board
on the vessel that was doing all the harm it could to the  native towns.

 The collections on Sunday and on Tuesday  evening amounted to over £6.
Adding this amount to the sums obtained from other  sources during the year, a
total of £23 or £24 has been raised for the  society.

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THE IRON AND COKE  TRADES.
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 The Newcastle Chronicle says: -

 Tyneside coke is very largely used by the smelters of  iron in West
Cumberland and Lancashire, and hence there should be interest in  the smelting trade.

 At the present time there are 52 furnaces blowing  between Maryport and
Carnforth, and 29 are out of blast. The make of pig iron is  estimated at over
28,000 tons weekly, and out of this at the present time about  10,000 are weekly
shipped out of that district, while the local consumption has  been decreased,
and there has been a slight addition to the stocks of pig in the  warrant
stores.

 Unless there should be an increase in the demand it is  probable that the
production may be reduced, in which case there would be a  lessened consumption
there; but there are some signs of  improvement.

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On Thursday evening Miss. E. A. BARNETT, lecturer to the National  Health
Society, London, gave a lecture in the All Saint’s Mission Room, St.  Helen’s
Street, on “Foods and Drinks,” Dr. ROBERTSON occupied the chair. There  was a
good attendance, the room being crowded.

 The lecture contained a good deal of valuable information, which was  
imparted in the clearest possible manner, and made interesting because of the  
points being illustrated by appropriate anecdotes. The lecturer deprecated the  
immoderate use of tea, and the methods by which it is sometimes made, and  
suggested cocoa or coffee as a substitute. She spoke also of the importance of  milk
in the food supply of children.

 A vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer on the motion of the  
chairman, seconded by the Rev. J. EWBANK; and a similar compliment was paid to  the
chairman on the motion of the Rev. J. EWBANK.
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A tin containing sixteen charges of dynamite was found, on  Thursday, under
the Grand Stand at the Houghton-le-Spring course, where a race  meeting was
recently held. The charges were properly wrapped with copper wire,  and had a
fuse attached which had been apparently lighted.

 The Liverpool Police, on Wednesday evening, arrested a foreigner, who  
arrived on board the steamer Lord Clive from Philadelphia. He had thirty  dynamite
packages in his possession.

The police are maintaining a strict surveillance at all the  British ports to
prevent the introduction of dynamite by the disciplines of  O’Donovan ROSA,
and it is said English detectives are employed at Antwerp and  other Belgian
ports to keep a look out for suspicious characters.

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REDISTRIBUTION.
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Barrow-in-Furness is properly accorded a member in the draft  redistribution
scheme, but that concession hardly meets the wants of the  district.

 At a meeting held in Ulverston on Thursday, of landowners,  magistrates,
mine owners, iron manufacturers, and farmers, it was resolved that  North
Lonsdale should have a member as a separate district of North Lancashire,  in
addition to the one proposed to be granted to Barrow, and a committee was  appointed
to represent the interests of the locality in the proper  quarter.

In addition to Ulverston, North Lonsdale includes Dalton,  Ireleth, Askam,
Grange-over-Sands, and other more or less populous places. Its  geographical
position is, moreover, somewhat isolated.

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CLEATOR BICYCLE CLUB

About forty of the members of the Border Bicycle Club sat down to  supper at
the Queen’s Arms Hotel, Cleator Moor, on Wednesday evening. The tables  were
adorned with plants, and prizes won by the members of the club also helped  in
embellishing the room. Mr. J. J. ROBINSON presided, and the vice-chair was  
filled by Mr. R. BAXTER.

 The toast of the evening was felicitously proposed by the vice  chairman,
who said that when the club started they scarcely expected it would  attain the
strong position it held at present. Besides bicycling they had taken  up
cognate sports, and they trusted they would soon rival if not excel the  Whitehaven
Gymnastic and Athletic Club, (Applause)

 Mr. JOHNSTONE responded to the toast. He gave an explanation of the  word “
Border” being in the appellation of the club. He said that four young  fellows
belonging to the place were desirous of purchasing bicycles. They had an  
offer from a man in Carlisle that on condition they purchased four more bicycles  
he would allow them one to practice on. They accepted the offer and purchased  
the bicycles, which the maker called “Border Bicycles” from the fact, he  
presumed, that they were made in the Border City.

 About the middle of 1880 they formed a club - of, he believed, eight  
members, with himself as secretary, and at the end of the year they had 21  members.
In 1881 they amalgamated with a club called the Trumpet Terrace Bicycle  
Club, and on the Good Friday following they turned out 40 members. They made a  
track in 1882 at the cost of £125, and afterwards erected a gymnasium and grand  
stand, the latter raising the total cost  of the ground to £160.  They  had
now reduced the debt to £16 7s 2d. The club at present numbered 82  members.

 A handsome mahogany cheffioneer was presented to Mr. JOHNSTON by the  
chairman, and the gift was suitably acknowledged by Mr. JOHNSTONE. The  cheffioneer
which was made by Mr. DIXON, Whitehaven, bore the following  inscription: -

“Presented to A. W. JOHNSTONE by the members of the Border Bicycle Club, on  
the occasion of his marriage, as a mark of esteem and in recognition, as a
mark  of esteem and in recognition of his services as captain. March 1884.”

 A very pleasant evening was spent by the company, various songs being  given
to enliven the proceedings.

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THE FIRE AT BECKERMONT
A  CORRECTION.
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Mr. William CHESTER, of Beckermont, writes to us with regards to  the fire
which occurred at his farm buildings about a fortnight ago. In our  account of
the casualty it says:

 “It is supposed that the hay had become heated, and that it had taken  fire.”

 Mr. CHESTER denies that the fire arose from this cause, saying that  none of
those who had the most knowledge of the matter had the remotest idea of  its
being caused from the hay heating. The barn was visited daily ; and Mr.  
CHESTER looked through it carefully at nine o’clock on the night preceding the  
fire, everything then being safe, and there not being the least smell of heated  
hay.

 At half past one o’clock two respectable men passed within full view  of the
building and saw no signs of fire. At four o’clock the hay was in a  complete
blaze. From these and other matters mentioned to us, Mr. CHESTER  desires it
to be understood that the hay was not fired in the way stated, and  that the
fodder was in a fit condition when stored.
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FORMATION OF MUTUAL  IMPROVEMENT
ASSOCIATION.
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An enthusiastic meeting of those interested in the above matter  was held in
the Wesleyan Chapel, Silloth, on Thursday evening last. The Rev. R.  J.
WARDELL, of Silloth, presided. It was agreed that a society called the  "Silloth
Mutual Improvement Association” be constituted, having for its objects  the
cultivation of a closer union amongst members for purposes of mutual  improvement,
to promote a taste for moral and intellectual pursuits, to accustom  its
members to public speaking, and to improve the mind and character generally  and
religiously.

 It was carried that the meetings be held for the delivery of essays  and for
discussion upon them, and for the delivery of lectures and for any other  
means that may be deemed desirable, the subjects thereof to be approved by the  
committee. The following were elected the office bearers for the first session:
 -

President, Mr. R. J. WARDELL

Vive-president, Mr. TOWNS

Secretary, Mr. MESSENGER

Assistant secretary, Mr. RAILTON

Treasurer, Mr. MARTIN

Committee, the above and Messrs: -

BARRETT

WILLS

John MESSENGER

R. BELL

GIBSON

MUNDELL

WRIGHT

ARMSTRONG

FOSTER

WOOD

 A sub-committee consisting of Messrs:-

BARRETT

MARTIN

MESSENGER

WILLS, was appointed to obtain a suitable room in which to hold the  
meetings, and to report to the next committee meeting. A number of rules were  
discussed and agreed to, the principal of which were that no person shall be  
eligible for membership who is not of good moral character, that the basis of  the
association be formed strictly upon unsectarian principles, and that all  
irritating subjects for discussion be avoided and all question of skeptical  
tendency be excluded.