British and Foreign News.

Hastings Standard, Issue 100, 21 August 1896, Page 4

British and Foreign News.

"Per San Fraxcisco Hail.] The resumption of diplomatic relations between Greece and Bomnania may be considered an accomplished fact. Four years have elapsed since M. Troupicis' Cabinet- provoked this rupture in view of the Roumanian Government's claim to the legacy of 5,000,000f. which Messrs Zappa Brothers left the Greek nation for public-spirited purposes, and because Roum&oia insisted on having the dispute tried in her Courts and not settled bv diplomatic negotiations. Since the rupture the case has dragged through several complicated phrases in the Roumanian Courts, until a decision has been reached excluding both Governments and acknowledging the Zappa relatives as the only heirs. The Tsar, desirous of paying respect to the memory of his great-grandfather and namesake Nicholas 1., had the hundreth anniversary of the latter 'Monarch's birthday celebrated with full ecclesiastical and military honours. Special medals were struck, the pensions of military invalids increased, schools re-named, and new homes for the sick founded in honor of the occasion. The Tsar and Tsaritsa made their public entry into St Petersburg after their coronation on 4th July. There was no pomp or display, but the streets through which their Majesties passed were decorated, and they were welcomed by large crowds of spectators. After visiting the Kazan Cathedral and fort re - th" Emperor and 1 mpit » left for Ts.in.kuf Sclo. Xextdv ths 11 Majestic-4 \i-it*.d the Empress Dowaeer at Gate hi na. It is -aid that th Minister of the Interior has decided to permit the entry into Russia of foreign Jews without distinction of calling. They must have passports bearing the <•/'•<« of a Russian Consul, who shall have previously received authority from the Ministry. Troops for the r t > mou of the rising in the Ilauran, writes the lieyrout- correspondent of the Times, begin to pour in here in qmcK succession. Over 6000 have arrived within the lastthree days, chiefly from Smyrna. Some difficulty has been experienced in calling_ out the Redifa at Tripoli and Damascus, as they object to serve under Turkish officers, who embezzle the military stores and leave their men to starve. This fre-b Druse outbreak appears to have been provoked by the brutality of the Turkish garrisons in the Hauran, amongst- whom since the autumn campaign against the Druses the most unbridled license has prevailed . Several of the Embassies have counthe Porte to stop the execution of Armenians in order not to increase further the irritation of the Armenian ■ < ' -atioii.

Ti'.e imposition of new municipal tav.-o has led to serious disturbances at Alicante, Spain. A crowd broke the windows of the Town Hall and burnt the octroi posts. The gendarmes charged the mob, several of whom were injured. A state of siege was proclaimed, and the collection of the new taxes suspended. The town soon became quiet. At Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the Irish-American Military Union this year established its animal encampment, 10,000 men from different parts of the country, all armed and in uniform, were received by the Mayor on the 4th July (Independence Day). Three hundred Cubans, armed and in uniform, were also received. Tynan, known at the time of the Phoenix Park murders as Number One,"' delivered stie chif f --itpdi at the proceedings at Sbt' eifcampajT-Tit. A piint; 'l' Alma Tadema and ruse ry Consulwere purloined from h van en from the city to Padti n_rn ,r . »■ ! •". 1 Tuly. \ V>- ot fons burden and a smad swaifW ot • nt 70 tons are now being fitted out, and it is intended that shall leave London on Ist September on an Antartic expedition, under Mr Borchgrevink, combining the two-fold objects of commerce and scientific research. £'sooo has been found sufficient for the expenses. Mr Henry Cockayne, editor of Mr Astor'a Pall Mall Gazette, started on 4th July on a a journey which he intends to make from one end of Africa to the oilier. He will begin at Capetown, and will reach Alexandria overland if possible. Linton, the English bicyclist, at Catforcl, on 7th July, covered 31 miles svds in an hour, thus beating the world's record all the way from three to 31 miles. The previous record for an hour was 29 miles 44 yards. Her Majesty Queen Victoria has introduced telephones into Windsor Castle that she may communicate with Lord Salisbury at the Home Office, and also with Marlborough House and Buckingham Palace. It is proposed to add electrophones also. In that case the I Queen will be put in the hearing of all the latest entertainments in the London theatres and concert halls.

The Fourth Hussars (the Queen's Own) are being raked fore and aft by the London press for snubbish exclusiveness. A subaltern named Hodge and a lieutenant named Bruce Price have been compelled to reign from the regiment by " mess-table persecution " because their incomes did not enable them to " keep hunters and racehorses." In Price's case the father of the young man intimated that his sou was driven from the regiment in order to make a vacancy for a son of the late Lord Randolph Churchill. The Norosti announces that Russia has obtained absolute freedom of trade In Northern China. The scheme for the foundation of a National Bank under the control of the Chinese Government has been abandoned. On the other hand, the Russian Government requests the sanction of 4he Tsung-ii-Yamen for the establishment of a bank to collect the public iuie:.ucs and transact all Chinese Govenuceni business. ~ is iSZt yonto>g

papers announces that Lieutenant Sliding, the English Commissioner, has handed over to M. Yacle the district of Mongsin and the dependent territories, as being on the left hank of the Mekong. A proposal to impose a tax on bicycles and trycicles'in Calcutta, where wheeling has suddenly become extraordinarily popular, has been set aside on the ground that the Commissioners have no power under the Municipal Act to levy such a tax. A conflagration destroyed almost the whole town of Descronto, Ontario, recently. Nearly 100 dwellings were destroyed, together with several factories and lumber mills, immense piles of timber, the Roman Catholic Church, and several stores. The loss is estimated at Sioo,ooo. Seventy-five families have been rendered homeless.