were strong enough to resist any pressure, but the railings were old and frail. People climbing on them felt them shake and creak; half a dozen fellows gave a push together in Park Lane--the railings gave way; in an instant the whole length from Hamilton Gardens to the Marble Arch went down, and the Park was filled with a tumultuous, rollicking mob. The grass and the flower-beds were the only property that suffered; the police took a few prisoners, and the crowd dispersed peacefully at nightfall. Mr. Beales took a small deputation to the Home Secretary next day, urging him to withdraw the troops and police, and trust the people to take care of the town. Mr. Walpole consented; it may have been prudent to do so, but the manner of doing it was unfortunate. It is a dangerous precedent for a Home Secretary to show himself afraid of the consequence of carrying out his own decrees. [Illustration: _G. Magnussen._} {_From the Royal Collection._ THE MARRIAGE OF PRINCESS HELENA AND PRINCE CHRISTIAN OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN-SONDERBURG-AUGUSTENBURG, IN THE PRIVATE CHAPEL AT WINDSOR CASTLE, July 5, 1866.] [Sidenote: Commercial Panic.] The summer of 1866 will be remembered long in the City of London by reason of the commercial disaster and monetary panic which followed sharply on a period of speculative inflation, the combined result of active trade and the new law of limited liability. The suspension early in May of the great discount firm of Overend and Gurney, with liabilities figured at £19,000,000, was followed within the same week by the failure of several banks and the suspension of the Bank Charter Act. On May 11 the Bank rate was raised to 10 per cent. and continued at that point till August 17. The shock was one from which the credit of the country took a long time to recover, and the amount of private misfortune and loss of income reacted on almost every department of trade, though the public revenue maintained a surprising degree of elasticity. [Illustration: A. Private, Queensland Mounted Infantry. B. Trooper, South Australian Cavalry. C. Trooper, New South Wales Cavalry. D. Trooper, Bodyguard, Canada. E. Trooper, Canadian Dragoons (Winter Dress). F. Private, Cape Mounted Infantry. G. Sergeant, Cape Town Highlanders. H. Officer, 8th Battalion Active Militia of Canada. J. Officer, Royal Malta Artillery. K. Trooper, Canadian Dragoons. L. Gunner, Royal Canadian Artillery (Winter Dress). _R. Simkin._} TYPES OF COLONIAL TROOPS, 1897.] [Sidenote: The Atlantic Cable.]