TELEGRAPHIC BREVITIES.

The French expedition to Tonquin has been abandoned.

There was a $170,000 fire at Shreveport, La., yesterday.

It is reported that the Sultan of Turkey is mentally unbalanced.

The subscription for the HERALD for the rest of the year is $2.00.

The ways and means committee has reached Schedule C of the tariff commission's report.

A meeting was held in Boston yesterday to promote a further endowment of Bates College.

The Hall block in Toledo, Ohio, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning. Loss $650,000.

The three men recently convicted at Dublin of participation in the Joyce family murder were hanged at Galway yesterday.

In the House Mr. James H. McLean was sworn in as successor to the late Thomas Allen from the second Missouri district.

Two of the Philadelphia body-snatchers pleaded guilty to the charges against them, before a magistrate, yesterday, and two others have been found guilty. Drs. Forbes and Lehman of Jefferson College have been held in $5000 bail each, on a charge of complicity in the robbery.

State-Attorney General Russell heard arguments at Albany yesterday on the application for the beginning of proceedings for the annulment of the charter of the Western Union Telegraph Company. General Swayne argued in opposition to the motion and General Barlow for it.

President Eliot spoke in the Meionaon yesterday at a meeting of the citizens of the Fifth District for the purpose of forming a civil service reform association.

The Pendleton civil servive bill was further discussed in the Senate yesterday. Amendments to the measure were offered, and the debate will be continued today.

A meeting of the organizing committee of the Irish National League was held in Dublin yesterday, at which resolutions condemning the British government's policy for alleviating the existing distress in Ireland were adopted.

Tom Allen, the pugilist, lost himself on the way from New York to Chicago, and was unable to keep his appointment with Elliott. When at last he did reach Chicago he was as mellow as a man could be who had met entertainers all along the route.

THE WEATHER.WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 16, 1. A. M. For New England, colder, generally fair weather, northwest to southwest winds and higher barometer.