INTERESTING NEWS TOPICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 43, 20 February 1886, Page 5

INTERESTING NEWS TOPICS.

At one tinje it was proposed to utilise the Euphrates as o^vfatj|r^vay to.lndia, iii con* junotion with a line of railroad, but it now appears that the once mighty/rivorseemß likely to disoppoar altogether/ 'Fbr'somo years past the banks below Babylon have been giving way, so that tho stream spread out into a marsh until steamers could not pass, and only, a narrow channel remained» for the native boats. Now this paasago is becoming obliterated, and unless matters improve tho to.ro_ 'Art the banks..will, be ruined and tho fi__.d't!i_ river itself will, be swallowed up by the dotfert. The Duke of Cumberland, unlike many a King in exile, (a not Buffering from a depleted exchequer, jas it is claimed that his! gold and silver plate weighs eight tons.' lie inherited the greater part of it from ,the, late King of Hanover and tho Duke of Brunswick. It is fair te presume that his wife does not take it allup to bod with her in the usual plate basket as some pie do. ' The British authorities are evor on the alort to strengthen the navy with all the modern and effective inventions. Thus a grant of £2,000,000 was mado in ordor to build a fleet of torpedo catchers and dostroyera. Tho first of those, the Grasshopper, will bo 200 feet in length, but only twentythree in breadth. Her greatest draught of water will be only eight feet, thus enabling her to steam on many rivers where war vesse'a would bo useless on account of their heavy draught of water. Tho armamont ofthe Grasshopper will boof apowerful character for a vessel of ber Bizo, and will consist of four tubes, with tho necessary apparatus, for firing the Whitehead torpedoesone at the bow, one at tho stern, and two amidships. The vessel will also be equipped with five breech-loading guns, tho calibre of which has not yet been decided. Four of those guns will be placed at the bow, and on the main deck aft four light guns will also be mounted. Four Mordenfelt machine guns_ will also bo mounted on tho vossel, two on either side. Tho Grasshopper ia to be fitted with engines of 2,700 horse-power, acting on twin aorows, and it ia estimated that sho will have a speed of nineteen knots per hour on a rough sea, which will give hor a great advantage in epeed over any torpedo vessels in tho Royal Navy undor similar conditions. Two or threo of these boats would form a grand lino of defence for San Francisco, and the reault of this new model of naval architecture should be keenly watched by our own authorities. Thoro is great diversity of opinion among the financial and commercial centres of England in regard to tho continued depression of silver. Thus, Bince tho demonetisation of that metal by Germany, there has been a fall in the value of the rupee of one-fifth of its value. Now the Indian Government haß to pay sixteen million sterling in London everyyear, and as these homo charges must bo paid in gold and the Indian Government raises its revenues in silver, this increases the yearly chargo to nearly twenty millions sterling. But on tho othor side, it is remarked that tho fall of tho rupee is of groat advantage to the Indian cultivator, as it will stimulate tho export trade in whoat and cotton. Indaid, it ia estimated that if tho voluo of tho rupee wore to fall permanently from two shillings to ono shilling and'fivepence, Indin alono would be able to supply the whole of ISuropo with all tho wheat it requires. In a financial organ it is claimed ■ that in all probability tho sufferers from the fall in silver would, to a large oxtent at least, in the last resort, be .Russia aphtha United States. The'tTni.ed States i would suffer in the wheat trade ; not to tho same oitont as Russia, oortainly, but yet very materially. They would auffef jd.o in thoir cotton tr»do. And, lastly, they would sutler through tho fall ln value of ailvor itself, the American mines being now the greatest" producers of silver in the world.

The depression of trade is felt very acutely in Paris, and aa tho difficulty of procuring work among tho lower classes becomes greater, thore is a notable increaso of orime that is causing gonoral alarm. Especially ia thia tho cnae in tho way of robbery with personal Violence, and although the police force has boen augmented, there is not a night during which daring highwaymen do not attack persons even in tho most frequented streots. Bttrgl&rios n-e atoo on tho increase, and various aro the devices put in practice by the rich classes to bold thoir property in safety. Among others, the Baron Alphonse do Rothschild has just finished tho transformation of his house in the Hue St. Florintin into a sort of itonclad fortress. Every window is proyidod with bullet-proof shutters ; each glass showcase containing priceless curiosities disappears into an iron safe in the wall by tho Simple pressing of a spring ; each picture is provided with a numbered case,: lined with marocco leather, so that in an-emergency tho whole gallery could be packed in an hour and stereo, away in tbe cellars, or sent to England for safety. Tho bill Of thoso morroco-lined packing-caseß amounts to £2,000; and now Baron Alphonse sleeps in peace, for ho is prepared for a revolution as thoroughly as be is armed against fire. Opo never knows what may happen in Paris, Two recent events have created a great deal of comment in the social and theatrical circles of Paria and. London. The first ia the enforced retirement of Sarah Bernhardt from the stage, owing to thorough nervous exhaustion, and it is claimed tbat the gifted artiste now recognises the necessity of husbanding those singular powers upon which she has hitherto drawn in euph.. a lavish manner. The first consequence of this illness will be to abridge her engagement in tbis 'country from ten to two .montha. She is to play twelve nights only in oach month, lor which she is to receive tbo immense sum of £100 for each performance. The sensation in London was the. reception of Mrs Bancroft into the Roman Catholic Church. The celebrated actress was recoivod by twei Slstera,' whom, she fervently embraced. The function was conducted by Father Forster, partly at tho church do.r and partly before the altar steps,'which w^ere covered for the first time with on extremely handsome carpot, tbo gift of Mrs Bancroft. The placo and tho hour bad.beon religiously kept secret, and tho ceremony was therefore, as iB uanal on these occaaiona, a private ono. Mrs Bancroft woro-an .overy*day blapltteatin and crimson velvot gown, and a fur-linod cloak and no bonnet.