FLASHES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 23, 4 August 1887, Page 2

FLASHES.

One of the banners which waved in honor of the Queen’s recent visit to East London bore the couplet, “ Welcome our Queen, so seldom seen. There are four or five marriageable princesses in England. More trouble for the taxpayers. The Russian railway towards Afghanistan is completed to within 125 miles of the frontier. Ostrich feathers sold during March at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, realized £26,245 That aimable lunatic, Mr Aitkin Connell, is still amusing the Auckland electors. A double florin, or English dollar, is among the novelties of the new Jubilee coinage, The English expert appointed to enquire into the value of the Blue Spur (Otago) mine, which Mr J. C. Brown went home to float a syndicate for, says the value has been very much over represented. What beauties some of those Canterbury electors are at Christchurch. Mr Reese was pelted with rotten eggs, dead ruts, dia. It is a scoundrelly thing that some of these gentlemen larrikins are not heavily fined, Why it is as bad as the old days of the Eatanswill election described in Pickwick. Depend upon it, this sort of thing always creates sympathy for the man it is directed against. Do you see the Hall Company are going to give us Gisbornites a treat. Rather, wouldn't misa seeing Johnny Hall for something. He is a funny dog. Just you see him in the " Widow Twankey " in Aladdin, or '• Captain Gingah ’’ in Our Girls. Johnny is one ot tue beet comedians we have in the ooloniei, Bulgarian problem as unaolvable as ever. Bulgaria wants to bluff the Sultan into deciding at once in favor of Prince Ferdinand, but according to Reuter's telegrams, the Sultan is intriguing with the Czar to put a Russian on the throne. Don’t believe a word ot it. There would be a fine row, another revolution, and the Austrians would cross the Danube in mighty quick time. The Times will be happy soon if libel suits can do it. O’Donnell is going for the Thunderer for £lO,OOO on the Parneilism and Crimes articles and now Pope Hennessey, Governor of the Mauritius, wades in with another for £20,000 fur defamination of character.

Katkofi, editor of the Moscow Gazette, has handed in his cheeks, I see. Who’s he ? A Russian inkslinger who had an influence over the people of most wonderful extent. He was the man who started the cry “ kick out the Germans 1” and the Czar allowed him to say what he jolly well liked. The Russian name of his paper was the Moskoffskirga, Viedomosti, a hard name to pronounce after you have been “ down town.”

Says the Colonial Office to our old friend Sir “ ’Ereules ” Bobinson—go to Hong Kong. “ I won’t,” says he. “No racing to to speak of there, nothing but curry, cheap cigars and Chinkies. Not good enough. We might do worse than get him back to New Zealand after “ Sir Willyum the virtuous.” Shanghai is to be made the naval headquarters of China. Sir Charles Dilke is devoting all his time to literary work.

Roumania is fortifying rapidly under the supervision of German officers. Lord Bosebery recently paid £283 for the MS. of Burns’ poem. “ The Whistle.” The New German Liberals are forming an Anti-Corn Law League. Patti was received with enthusiam on her re-appearance in London] A Queensland editor has just had to pay £3l for libelling a doctor, by stating that the town had long been in want of a good physician. A drunken man walked up the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington, a week or two ago, and began preaching. He was removed and fined 60s, in default 14 days in gaol. Mr Brodie Hoare, a recognised financial authority, has publicly declared that New Zealand inscribed stock is honestly worth U per cent, more than it is quoted at. Sir Edward Tichborne has offered “ The Claimant ” a small annuity if he will make an affidavit for publication after death of the true facts of the Orton-Castro conspiracy. “ Sir Roger ” has scornfully refused the offer.

Large amounts of money are being sent from Vienna, Berlin, and Paris to London for safe keeping in the event of war. The late Lord Shaftesbury, probably the very highest authority on the subject estimated in 1884 that “ nine-tenths of the working Qlnsseu ef London gee lodgers.”