CURRENT TOPICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 175, 18 April 1908, Page 10

CURRENT TOPICS.

- The Hastings ■ Elect lon. —"Anotherby-olec- ' tion has boon fought (says the -London ■■■'. ". "Daily Express'''of MaTch 4) and once again :the Government finds itself eondomned.with t : ;v: ; nnmistakablo < emphasis. ■ Mr, 'Harvoy Du ■ • *won Hastings :for the Unionists at the general election by a majority of 418. Yes--v torday Mr.: Arthur Du Cros was returned by a majority of 1018, tho large increase being . accounted for ■ almost cntiroly by . the falling away of tho Radical vOto Practically 500 ■ fewer ; electors voted for the Government than in'l9o6—a defection of 1 approximately . 12J por"eont Hastings 16 tho first by-elec- :• ■ 1 •• tion fought ■' since tho introduction of this. year's > Government' programme, and. yestcr"*day's "result, may bo taken-as a clear mdica-i • tion: of-tho country's condemnation both . of: ;v '■ tho. Education and (the , Ijicolisuig .Bills,; ."a." (Neither. of'these Wasm-os ,is:-a■.-■ straightfor-;

ward .attempt l to<deal with-.A, pressing ,nn-, 1 > • ■ tional problem. ■ ■ Both havo beca introduced i , -in. answer to - the-pressure-of a noisy ..section.| ' . ~ v of. tho' Liberal 1 party.' Both aro essontially ••-.. I - unjust, and'that they are.regarded with'dt3- ] - approval oven -by ibo, .supporters of the Gov;is' ;ovidenpedi/by ; ilie :significaijt.:de- ; .-■■■'■■r; v». oreaso at/Hastings. , . . The /Tariff. Reform . . /party remains • Strong ■ and .unit'x], but. tlio 1 ■ -i; enemy .jsilosmg-battalions of its friends.; For ; ■ .-■:■.: a may remain»in their .-tents, 'bub. . • sooner or later, Hastings-as in other, oonJ stituenoies, - : they will:;bo.-numbered :■in 'tho,, : party- of .patriotism : and. progress, In: addi- .«•: - 1 tiOn'to disapproval- of the Government's pro-, posed legislation;- it,is evident,that- its attiV tudo-to tho maintenancciof,the nccessary do---v fencca of:tlie country. is.produqmg widespread,i alarm." /

' , " : :■'lnternational Diplomacy.—Tho;prmcipal:i\rr 1 . tiolo m the March 1 liumbor: of the i">lotional- : 'Review"' is '.'An;unpublished -.pagor of • Inters I', ;-, national Diplomacy -in the. . War; 1 ' 1 by-M. Andro rMevil, who .writes ifromT < a'lFrench standpoint in -vindication':of"M-.- , Dolcasao, - and with" ■ tills interims :■■-. - tional differences- should bo - settled with; as -'sr.,: • ]ittlo delay ns possible, .and iii itho -most..de'■;v fimtrvo. ifashiou,-; as .-otherwise,-, soonorr-or ..- .vlater a stornv-will burst, which >no diplomacy; : can cope withj or- even delay by a single hour. . . Thownteiybowevoiyis uhdcr.no illusions as . to Germany's peculiar-diplomatic mothods, : :<• for he declares German diplomacy was j r/ - ittnablo .to -prevent the consummation of tho > - ■*. -. 'Francos-Russian' Alliance; which;was not-only - concluded m spite . of. ;Gormany,' but for : the i • express .: purtioso of combatmg, her . preton- •' • sions'to the negemony of rEurope r than Powct i .•.' - dovotod >herself Ito • .diverting: the ; attention.. : anil 'activity, of ■ tho new allies from European : -. affairs—a tolerably efficacious hethod-of nttl- .: . lifying an allionco with -an exclusively Euro-:i v.. pean object: On tho conclusion of tho Dual " ( 'AUianco tho Machiavellis df Berlin 1 wTiispored V-' to.RussialN.that her. future lay in Asm,- and - • ■. to franco that* -England was her. only oncmy .- yt' It .-will bo remembered that , after the fateful

N- - between 'Prince Lobanof,- the Rusv- / ,;.6ian : Chancollor.- : and M. Hanotaux,: , the: French.JForeign Minister, Russia embarked on , :• ; her' Far Eastern policy, while France -becalno . / enmeshed : m -the 'Bahr-el-Gazalr-tho partners thusiturnmg their babks ou one anotheriand. : :v's:: completely.stenlismg the'allmnpb.h lt iwas at; ■'\ - the:nrgent instance of Germany that-Russia-v • and; hands .with her m provent-- ■ ' lng! Japan? from .gratifying n long-standing •■"■ . ' ambition ..to.iappropriate -Port Arthur ..after. ... - the .isaccessfiil , conclusion; of- hor .; war...with . - China;. This' was" justified >by - ;■ 1- ail; appeal to the -necessity.: of .upholding'the •- 'integrity rofjjjQhma.'v',' iStep> bjv step-ufrojn, .' tlys point jM.' Mevil, traces , tho tragic qucmcos to Russia , of. all tho moves tljo, -■■'*.- - Far Eastern;chess board .until the' war actu- :: ~ ally began.. ''Unfortunately he has to admit that«tho sinister polioy inaugurated, at Shi-. , monoseki,: under, tho. inspiration of Germany,-. ': .boro fruit wjncli . was destined to .prove ,very .- v .bittcTi-to 'Russia,..and .that- only after: tho ! : terrible lessons ,of Mukden,' - Hull, and: Tsushima did tho Powers Teally . pull themselves together. '

• .Woman V Suffrage;; — . For ■ - the /limosince John. Stuart Mill; first brought: up' -the: • qubstioh on ' . iriY''lß67, -V'thei'. Houso -principle. second reading.pi. : . Mr, : .;Bill .lor givirig iv6'meri.',ttc v : ,Parliam<mtary;Suffragd on.thoSsame terms,;as; •nien was:carrie'd, ■ after -debate, by- 271' votes • to and: a 1 noteworthy; - advance on tlio. niajority. of .114 , for , a sirai]ar ; proposal in;.l9oi.'-There was', a good ideal s'ofr .< cross-voting: bn'; : tho 'Billj and' Cabinct Min-, .'•isters'Svere'foundin'oppositiiTj'oljbies/'bnt onlyhalf 'adozen'membßrsbf.the, Govern- > mont ' voted ' against;'|thc 'iripisUre-• 'iThere ware cheers inside, and ; outside; the. House j .when,'the. ieeailt 'of \the.. voting .waa'.'madb v known', . bot' tho/ supporters of the.Biilfool, ".that ,tho; value .of ;the)r victory 'i 3 , cbnsid<ir- ' ably discounted by the fact that'Hh'e jSill has been referred to a Committflc of the Whole' : . House, which means that'unless' the GbVern- • mont givef special, facilities "for 'it,' it v will ,V; probably not bo again session; j,:,Miss Christ&beL Pankhurst: has even STlggeEted 'that >%ight^■ - the Licensing'Bill'iir faybuf ; 6f tlie Women's 'Enfranchisement Bill, and''thb:leadcrs o'f ; thb . militant suffragists hare annoiinced "a vigor■"opsl campaign; to ;'induco{ tho . Government 'to pass'tho'.Bill.this ■ session. ' A" foretaste . of ■ the "redoubled; energy". they' protniso'-to J; throw ; into 'their given •• at Queen's ITall, whern. .several .ladies "interrupt«d Mr.' Lloyd-George, who had voted for !' thoir enfranchisement oaHier intho' day,. - . .. Haydn - Centenary.—ln.; view •of tho ■ ap-' .. pro'aching'hundredth anniverSaiy of tbe deatli ■/, of the famous 'musician, -Haydn, . the -city, .'of j iVionna desired to rfr-intOr,,his 'remains in one • of the ..so-called, " graves :of; honour " in the ; great central cometery/ | among .f'those of f . Bchubert, VMozart, .!and;'-'other ;: great' geniuses in',tho'World bf music. Haydn , ,was first.,buried, in- .a',-small ."Yieniidsb;ccme--:-',te^, T but ishortly:'afterwards/, : at ; tlfe;^ues't' of ;tho' prmccly;. farnily-bf 'EstfcHiazy, ; 'liis remins were "pxhumoa ahd,;?enMv<&; i to thbir estate at Eisenstadt,- .in Hungary,, where the . ■ composer had lived for many years as director of; Prince EsterhazyV private'orchestra.' i; The Vienna• City Council recently sent a petition to Vhe present' head 'of tho houso. of. -listerhazyto permit tho remoVal of the body to a . fiialSmtingiplaco; in V lenna, ■ but, to the /' great disapj»intment of tho authorities, and •' «ls6 of:thfe hdmirors' of.the'great' composer, the Pnnco has now positively re-,' fused to grant the city's request,- . -

Zuliftarid Natives.—Sir Matthew NatKan has ] completed his Zululand tour. ■ Tim Governor visited..'-'every division'; of Zululand,': including tho. most difficult, of access, :oxcept one, ana meti every prominent-chief or principal councillor when. a chief was too infirm to. come; Tho ' Governor held a 'number of indabas. Tho 'chiefs spoko readily regarding Seattle 'disease, drought, and locusts,; and. the-Vdiar: tress which was' anticipated from .them,;'but, showed .not tho least l discontent with: white, .rule as suchl. On the contrary, many acknowledged the ; permanent destruction: ofZulu power: at TJlundi and. other\hiatorio, battle-, fields, near which some of the .indabas were lield, and severely- condemned attempts to create a.state of anarchy in Zululand, which they attributed t6 ~ one faction; only. ■"'-■•Tho.. tour: as a whole has. had a'-.potent pacific effects and counteracted tho seditious, s,in-., (luences to' which the tribes ; hayo. hitherto, been-subjected.. , Having 1 heard that .Sir; * Matthew Nathan was well disposed '.to : ;them,and' heliovinß; him : te bo an emissary, sent direct'from the King to befriend them, tho chiefs spoke freely with Sir Matthew, . received him privately and individually , after ■ Bach public indaba; aiid, in addition to feciting. . the troubles already related, thoy expressed Btrongly : the opinion that Dinizulu should not ■ bo allowed to return to his people, otherwise a renewal of the. terrorist influences, which have now ceased, would be probable.. Sir Charles Saunders, who is an unexceptionable ' authority 011 Zululand. 'concurs withwthis, view. The majority or tho chiefs and tho people are at present peaoeably inclined.

The House of Commons.— 1 " The Methods of the Ilouso of Commons " arc painted with some candour by Mr. R. 0/Lehmami, AI.F., in v" Cassell's Magazine." - He. (assorts:— "The newcomer 'must try to'appreciate tliO general tone and tfempor'of tho House, and adapt himsolf and his language to them; and ho must renVOmber thrt't tho Hotiso will, deny to an unknown speaker liberties \vhich lit willingly accords toj tho'sfe lVho .- have by long practice won .itsfai'oUr.lt.is fetal to assume an air:of superiority.'even in regard ■to a subject of which experience has mado him a • master. A certain modest deference will hotter, become him, and bo more useful to liim, especially if lie realises, as lie ought' to, that in his (iudionce there are probably several men who,, though lie may; never have heard of them,; Know more" about his own .subject.! thanlie.i'.'khowsv himself. Such a speaker might, I-am . sure, go as far as to massacre ,all .oYdiSaryjrulesi'of-.grammar and pioiiunciation- witlio.ut evdri a murmur of disapprobation from,; an assembly: which can, at other.timos'/ be'liiglily fastidious and critical. On tho ofchei; Jland, the House can abate l)ompous' gontionvep' ; with consummate : .,easbiTlioy may. boon'sMrd-skullod and.-as ; : thick-" as/ th 6. . rhii)'oceros, -'biit. they cannot fail to 'becomDi.coMcions of , : cold, ' if .silent, disapproval they excite.; The .little :shuddcfs ot, reprehension S'which travel lip. arid '•down tlio ;backs of ovoiitually break through the toughdat cnist. ■ They,'are harder to bear, fhan' the most violent ■forms of expressing distaste," • . :

• Pan-Anglican Papers.—Ono of tho many in- . •genious, ideas of.,tiia '6ifeahisers '6f,.,tlie I'Sh- i 'Anglican CongroSfeiiVa's to get' the preliminaries v of tho conferences* overbefore tho': dO-. •bates really 'begins !flioy have,' With this' in viow, published: in't-twelve 'little bfocliUres,' each contauung.iSQme Half; a. dozen, papers, ■statsmonts -from iitafiy \.arid;/sometimes opposed - attitudes ;-on- the gren,t quo3tioii3 .of discipline -and brgariisatibn'and of tlie' niodbrri problems at : -problem of - Svomen's work in tho CtojohJis tackled'in very spirited iashioii 'by- Greighton 'and half - a flozon 'Othor -.Writers in:.tho booklet oii'.",Tho' Minis->try;.!of-.;Womcni.",i ".Mrs. Creightou', say's that " oiily 'common;,work oft: ftti absblutoly' ireo. and -equal' show what part : ' 6f any'' wortaor.-what kind of-work 6i(h best'bo done-' 1 by.v/womoiixor/iboyt.ildft'-'to men," and olie--1 thmks-.thatiflniabjfcdeacohesfe'shbuld bo paidat"least' -as - curate. V. The most sfcfrr ring and-.iVitalrofi'tlieSG' papers, however, are; I tlio. pages.det^lrngj:with sooial reform. • Hero 1 we have-! Bishop on | the ground that 1 its inaiii idea is closely allied ta the - Christian idea; Canon Scott Holland calling.for an extfensiori of;public control over capitalism 1 and;.of,"co-Operative against private capital ; and: Hov-M-. - J/'Carlylo, of the Christian Social .Union; i declaring that " there'isfio stesfcibf '.-tlia.'tirixfcli' of your religion so real rate: of -wages .do you: pay P'• What wages are . paid, to the people ■ who make the . things which you :buv?' " • 'Die papers on "Morality in oommorcial and; eooial life *' by 'such specialists as, Miss Gettrudo Tfldkwell oh' Sweating ": and Aldorman Thdmpson'bu. 11 Housing/' call ; for. h circulation; jfar-: boyorid denominational limits. The Beries ; as!a whole,reveals,a broad otitlodk\'aiid''an ,ambition in the niinds of tlia', organisors. to-. seBMo- the;:best .possible troat|V jmept. oft ho, probleiTi s',' that.await solution."": I -. feersl/n murderous ■ ■ atii tojupt- mado oni-theyifo ot: the Shah' of Porsii-i ■missed r. its 'Sijm' .the.'. " Standard Xhiii^KitKreolo^tliib'/Royal-, escort' w<sro kiUed-.r iUccent :roporte( ifrbjri 'iTth-oran; ; fiiight bb. icit-ed: ■"to'-.indicate, Stvbthet; crisis . was •The: reacb!onaries,;' it :Was; 'sai4i are'. again: bef,. coming 1 active,- An jumanii,;.memlxsr3 'of ipohfcienli societies.: like-tlio, : Attehadien Talabj lor J,h'o. Anjuman'' Isliil)>'. were buying., arm?. ■ •'Too: much significancb' not. bo >tfa,?hpd',to thbse ! symptoms ,of ; 'bellicosity. ■■■; lEfetii tho soldior :iri-> Persia\ as. jtho vauthor lof ".Haji Baba " outj: is ;gr&ily ll 'dbficient i inf. ; 'this 'drt'' b'f ';.-'dyhig. A'' .'Persian''talking-., to'j ail English; ; officer oric6■said ■ very: ingenuously: If there, were. 116 dying f in ■ the^c'ase^how.'glonously,,would .the Persians r fight." . , ( If•! the* national/ spirit werb. 'more ■■ desporato' itho :'doom ': ; of ; : the Kajar 'dynasty :wouicl.:probably' have sounded, long' beforo this.-: Smbtf the'_'SHih's-(accession;lie. -has "had- many 'difficulties t-o cont-cnd - With: 'There: is - ittf--believe tlwt,''with ,the 1 assistance of.'.:A&'ih-eis-Sultan| '_a : st'atfesf '.man .he might'-' hiivei |succcedctl: ; in ';<}sf;ab]isli'ing v a- new 'aiid 'be'ttel« |6r3of of, things ; in.'Pei-siaf especially, as jland and Russiay sinking t-heir old Ino. longW' advanced.'.conflicting claim's, and: ■wore ready to : act tegothor in supporting him' : in-. any.- msonabloh'attempt..to?improve ,thb' position. l ,:' But his:'sjig!icibU3 Ministet fell '.surer,?-hands'.:.than; ; thos,e!. ; .which< ■ thft; ■bombs,: and,- sineb', thbn. ' .the Shah's difi'icoup .d'etat.- in'•December WM,'a, i .failuro. : ,.- Tho Mojlis ■ has asV ■Sortsd'. its pon'er niore. openly, thero'ave dis-' sensiOns. in,', thfe Cabinot, serious diplomatic' idisputos, ■^illctihs^tl6d,t',]iavo.. , .atisenV ; with' ; Turkey v there .vs. growing unrest; in, the pro-., • vinces, and ' altogether . the outlook is becoming distinctly, ; wo'rse.'V

; Vha Freo Churches.—Tho Southport meetings of the -Natkmiil Council of the Freo Churches liavo boejl : a-' success, alike in atjendance,' .variety-; of arid»sustained fen-. .thusiasm;(says,the,f' ; Chfistian,World Tli'o spirit of. -d - . glowing - optimism' was in the. Council—there was the feeling; that timo'has 1 -. boon suddenly foroshorlbned and that great reform's .-have t! bw:-pnie .imm(xliatoly " possible which,.only ,%• ago -'woto 'still", but bf distance. 1 The paper's .on the?' relation. of '. the ; Chtirches' tb : Labour,, and;; Soqiali§Jn wore heard with in-.t-ensest :.intorest.;-ii;Mr. : ;' Hendorson', M.P., / ; madb: : a.'-doop impression by; hisplea for -s\ibh : changed conditions as will eiiablo tile"' working-man ' to secure- a . larger share' of, the. fnwits "of: industry, and by his protest' ; against . attaoks, on * tho ' Labour movement : basod.on tliG assumption' that all tho men in thf raws'of tlio fow. oxI treihe-.'febcialisfs.of,;' a;'' : . matorialistie • antiCliristianTum lwliich/attaoks ,roligioh|and the .marriage, Jrblq.%nv,'Jj.]Vl!'. Rattenbury; carried tl«j meeting iri pleadftig for an im-. •partial and : even.sympathetic attitude of tlio vChnrchos -towardsySpcialismV: .which " ill its :Spirit!:'ond aim : the same lino as tlio Churches thomsblv.esi Hb niado-no conceal-,nient-bf his'own" frank acceptance of Socialism. The paper Rev/ Thomas Mitchell,' '■ tho,.'. of: ..'Primitive j; : , pliav. for the j, Christianising .or'charact'er and the..'evftngelt isatiort *bf; SbbislisM' is 'conditions precedent to' any jbssilj.ilifiy ;of realising - tho ; Socialist ; ideals..lt"' WAs jtniarkftble ;that. the • three ' jiajsers on by Methbdtets.

... Academy .'.Elections.—-The French Academy held on March 5 . to fill tho placeswmailoft by tho deaths last year of ~M..;KPfthe]6t.,. thfl.)nan. of science, and M. Andre.: Thouriet' and M. Sully Prudhommo, the tioets.-' For <M.-Berthelot, 0 successor, has been foufod ,in tlio World of seience::M. Henri, thi> .inatbomatician, who is often siiid tpibs the groatest savant of to-dav; hut the,Academy.was,.contented to'elect only ono pdet:;,in pla<;o". of-;>the ttvo, that haro died, : and,'. it : ,..fillodL.thov.pther scat by electing a journalist,.; Riohepin, the .poet, elee- : te3j , ,h'as,tHod..Kis hand at many occupations, as,,well .as-in ;jnany: branches- of literature. Ho was ji'franc tirpur in 1870, and fought undor General' pourbaki, Ho has also been tutor, seaman, , porter, and docker at Naples iand Bordeaux, newspaper editor, and actor. 1 Ho poems, and plays in ■ verse.-. --Among-i his- best known works are ' f XaSph : a'nson%db Guoux,-' and poems which 'obtained for him a (fine of £20 when published in 1877; " Nana Sahib," which was mounted at'tho Theatre, of, Porte St. Martin, ami in. which the author and Mme. Sarah,Bernhardt played' side by side, and "Lo Chomineau," which has boen a success both.at tho.Odcon, ami,-more recently,, has been fiiouiitcd. m 'an opera at ,tho' Opera Comiquo. Tho journalist elected •by the ■ Academy is ; M. Francis, Charines, who isr tho editor of tho " Rovuij j■ 'Deux.MondeSj" where ho succeeded M. j.Bnm«tiere.,:;,'Jt -Js many years oboe., the [ Academy'has chosen,a journalist to tako a, ia rta mldai. ■■ y