THE EUROPEAN MAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1841, 8 December 1869, Page 5

THE EUROPEAN MAIL.

A site, comprising lo acres of laud, in apleasant locality, having a fine view of Staten Island and New Jersey, aud lying open to the fresh sea breezes, has been set apart for the erection of an Inebriate Homo for King's

County, New York. A little lijprc than two

years ago a charter was obtained for ilie home, and at the same time about £30,000 was appropriated for the purchase of land and the erection of the buildings ; subsequently an Act of the Legislature of Now York was passed, granting it about £1500 a year from the excise license fees and from tile fines levied in King's County for vio'atiou of the cxcise laws.

The Brazilian and Argentine allies appears at last to have obtained a decisive victory over Lopez ; intelligence which was received in this country with feelings of general satisfaction. The character of Lopez was for a long time misapprehended here. It was not easy to believe that anyone could really be the unredeemed monster of cruelty lie was described ; but the recent testimony of Mr. "Washburn, Mr. Masterman, and others, has shown him in his true colours.

Irishmen have been giving another proof of their versatility. When we last wrote little was talked of liut, the land question, and men were endeavouring to see whether it were possible to reconcile the views of the most moderate of the tenant party with the rights of the landlords. But a fresh subject, for agitation is now before the Irish, namely, the release of the Fenians whom we still keep in confinement. The Government rather hastily, as itwas thought, even by their friends, let out a large number of the convicted men, retaining only those who were the leaders of the Fenian movement, or could be mischievous ill promoting it. The clamour is now that these shall also'be set free, and monster meetings are being held, even in Ulster, in support of the demand. The release is asked, not on the ground of mercy, but of justice, and the most menacing language is used by the orators, a few of whom arc by no means of the lowest sort. Some members of Parliament join in the cry, though they do not go such lengths as would procure their expulsion when the House meets. It remains to be seen what the Government will do. Mr. Gladstone has managed to signify in answer to one petition, which was of a becoming character, that the request can be listened to only if it be admitted that the Fenians have no justification. and throw themselves on the lenity of the Crown, but as we have said, this is by no means the tone of the disaffected in Ireland. It would bo worse than a blunder to yield to the sort of pressure which is now being exercised, but it is most probable that a refusal will produce outrages. Agrarian crime increases, and the lastTcase is that of firing at a gentleman and a lady, who were both wounded. A jury refused to convict the assassin Barrett, althor-h tlie evidence against him, direct and circumstantial, was complete, and the mob nearly murdered one juror who was believed to have held out, hunted the gentleman who had been shot at, and stoned the carriages of the Queen's judges, breaking the windows. And yet in Cork itself a meeting of the most loyal kind was held in honour of the LordLieutenant, and men of nearly all views, Fenians excepted, joined in it. Ireland continues to be a riddle, though the solution is clear enough—it is the absence of the solid and respectable middle class. That protection asainst extremes in wanting. His Holiness the Pope has had his troubles. The blood of St. Januarius duly liquified, and the clumsy miracle occasioned the usual joy among the lower class, while educated Catholics looked on angrily on a farce which degrades the Church to which they are proud to belong. But in Paris the most famous preacher of the day, the Carmelite friar. Father Hyacinthe, whose influence over the religious is extraordinary, has broken into open revolt against the policy of Home,'lias declared that the attempt to divorce the Church from advancing thought is unholy tyranny, and having been ordered himself to be orthodox or silent, has abandoned his pulpit in Notre-Dame and Ilia convent. A violent attempt is being made to crush him, the head of his order having ordered him to return within 10 days or be held excommunicate and infamous, and great •interest is felt as to the course which he will adopt. It is supposed that he will refuse obedience, but what he can then do unless he becomes Protestant it is hard to say. But his condemnation of the course which the great (Ecumenical Council is to take under the dictation of its head (whose personal infallibility is to be one of the dogmas to be adopted), lias been a severer blow than can be understood save by those who know the relations of the Church of France arid the Church of Rome. The autiBoman spirit has been revived in the former, by which it is perceived, as it is not in the incense stifled atmosphere of the Vatican, that the only chance for Catholicism is to advance with times. We may note here that Archbishop Manning has delivered an eloquent sermon in explanation and defence of the policy of the Council, but he has told us only what we knew before, that the opposing forces, Borne and Liberalism, are irreconcilable.

The Social Science Congress, the sittings of vrhich for the year commenced at Bristol on September 29, has not overlooked the importance of colonial questions or of the matters relating thereto. The question of the relations existing between the mother country and her colonies were set down in the programme of proceedings among the matters to be considered. In consequence of this the Congress has been attended by a large number of colonists resident in England, and in his inaugural ac'dress the president, Sir Stafford Iforthcotc, alluded to the subject in very happy and appropriate terms, and opened the way for a fair and free discussion of the whole question. At the nest sitting of the Congress papers were rend haying for their texts " What ought to be the Legal Constitutional Eolations between England and the Colonies." In the discussion which followed Mr. F. B. Labelliere, a " nativeborn Australian," scouted the idea of the dismemberment of the British empire by means of the so-called independence of the colonies. Sir William Denison followed suit, and maintained that the colonics looked to England as a " mother country," and protested against the feeling that seemed to be growing up for their severance from it. Col. Torrcns " saw nothing impracticable in a union, in perpetuity, between England and the colonies," if a reasonable view was taken of it. Sir. Edv.avd Wilson, of the Melbourne Argus, differed somewhat from the previous speakers, and thought " the time was a critical one, and if tilings went on as at present, the colonics would begin to consider whether they should declare their independence, or adopt some other alternative." At the last sitting of the Ist of Oct., tlie question of emigration was more iully considered. Mr. K. H. Torrcns. ir.P., contended that emigration on a;i extended scale would induce most advantageous results, especially to the working classes. Sir Wiiu am Denison, after a career of 40 yeai's in the colonies, entirely objected to making them places into which to shoot rubbish, ~and he told the meeting plainly that (he colonies would not take the miserable refuse of the home count rv. There was, lie said, a wide scope in the colonies for the right men, together with their wives and families, and the emigration of such persons would benefit themselves, the colonies and the mother country. He was also of opinion that the State should, say by means of loans, favour and help the emigration of such persons. Sir George Grey thought that colonists and the authorities at home should consult as to the class of emigrants it was desirable on the one part to assist, and on the Other to receive. Saturday, Oct. 2, was rather a broken day with those attending the Congress, yet tlio Right Hon. Stephen Cave, M.P., found opportunity to suggest that the unskilled masses should be enabled to emigrate out of the national funds, and the Government ships now lying idle might be utilised by conveying emigrants to colonial ports. '

In connection -with the various projected Indian and 'Australian lines of telegraph, a v fierce discussion is going on as to -whether 1 light or heavy cables are the better. A new 3 telegraphic line is being carried out from jFal--2 mouth, skirting the Spanish coast to G-ibraltar 5 and tlience through the Mediterranean and , Red Sea to Bombay, to be entirely under the 9 control ot English manipulators. The messages from India at present have to pass » through so many different)! countries that it is • ofteu difficult to get a telegram corrcctly sent. t This new line will be of immense importance to the proposed extensions of the Eastern i Oceanic Telegraph Company, to Australia, New Zealand, China, &c. lam informed that the Eastern Oceanic arc proposing, in addition to 3a3 T in£ cables to the Australian continent, tc construct land lines to Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, thus bringing all the colonies into immediate telegraphic communication with England, &c. The explosion of petroleum in a lighter at Bordeaux on the 2Sth of September, caused the destruction of nearly twenty ships that ■ were lying at the wharves. The lighter was i drifted by the ilood tide among the shipping, I and unfortunately, the authorities attempted to extinguish the flames by submerging the boat. The consequence of this was that large patches of burning oil floated 011 the water and being carried by the rising tide, set fire to many distant vessels that otherwise would have been safe. The extent, of damage is estimated at ten millions of francs.