NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 31

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

It is amusing to read that the Duke of Orleans is ready to try a plebiscite. He, of course, will never get such a tost. But one cannot help wondering what some of his ancestors would have said if asked to abide by a plebiscite. But then they had possession, and there is a vast difference between the man who is in and t ho man who is out. Exempli ijratia : take Hie statements of Sir R. Stout, Captain Russell and Co., when iuollice, and compare them with those now being made in the cold shade of opposition. I t is a fearful and wonderful contrast, just as fearful aud wonderful as tho eoutrast presented by the readiness of the Duke of Orleans to take a plebiscite, to I lie tearing asunder of Ravuiliac by horses for the murder of Henry IV. It lias never been pointed out that Mr Curzon has definitely declared in tho Commons that tho Anglo-Turkish treaty providing for Armenian and other reforms has fallen to the ground. “Inasmuch as the Sultan had failed to fulfil hi ; pirt of the Cyprus Convention, it was not incumbent on us to fulfil the counterpart.” That throws light oil the tergiversation of the last few months, and enables us to understand why Lord 8 ilisbury has got a free hand in Egypt and Equatorial Africa. There has been a surrender to Russia, whose llag will before many years fly from tho dome of St. Sophia. “ 1.-m’t it time to stop in and spank the boy King of Spain ? ” It is the letterpress accompanying a cartoon, American ol cmrso, which represents a little boy wearing a crown in a very dissipated way, tormenting with a bayonet- a poor little lux entitled “Cuba.” 'filial- puts I he A merienn sentiment on this question with masterly dearness. Tho cartoon, it is worth remembering, was published before the death sentences which the other day so roused public opinion. No doubt the recollection uf it had something to do with ! the reason ible retreat of the .Spanish Government, in spite ot the vapuuring.s oi the barbarian who commands their troops in Cuba. An article in the last number of the Review "I Reviews on tho book trade in Australia des.erv.-s to be read, not because it contains any facts of importance or interest, because it contains neither ; but by reason of Hie awful dulness which lias pervaded the trade in books since 1893, when the first printing press was sot up by one Howe, till the present time. The dry-as-dust statistics of tho sales of books by booksellers to leisured dilettanti are worth nothing to anybody, except the enemies of Australia, who declare that “blowing” and “money grubbing” have taken tho heart out of the people. Now Zealand, wo may remark, does not stand far outside this declaration. But to the Australian book trade. Tho first fact in the history is that one Howe, a compositor, human in 1803 to print tho petty decisions of Cm Dotty creatures who lived for petty things at the head of affairs in those days. The°last fact is “the book trado iii Aus-

tralia could not exist for one week on sales of Australian literature only ; it flourishes almost solely on the importation aud sale of English books and periodicals.” In the face of a history found between two such extremes as that, tho best thing to do with the history of the Australian trade is to label it “ misnomer,” and throw it into tho waste paper basket. And what about tho intellectual life of a people that is written large in that short sentence about Australian literature ? The less said about it the better. Wo were talking tho other day of cycling and wondering about tho millions now embarked in the manufacture. Stimulated wo wore by the sale recently announced of some famous works at a fabulous price. Since then various sidelights have come in, by which wo can realise what there is in tho spread of the “ byko.” “ While, tho cycle trade is booming, horse-dealers suffer,” writes one newspaper correspondent. Auother bemoans the fact that the admiration of the spectators has been transferred to the bykes, while the horse and his rider, whilom the glory of Rotten Row, are left to pace in unadmired neglect. Another declares that many people insist that the pleasure of cycling far exceeds that of horse-racing. Sir Francis Jeuno is said to ho of this opinion emphatically. Air Juicy (Toby, 31. P.) writes: —“ t know a sybarite, recently enfranchised from high Ministerial office, who every morning has both horse and bicycle brought round, lie tolls mo that five days out of six he selects the bicycle, his groom going <. IV to exercise the horse. In the House of Commons tlm practice of coining down on a bicycle is growing to such extent as to suggest the necessity for special stabling accommodation. In the new Parliament wo have not had many late sittings following on big divisions. These are, in ordinary circumstances, attended by a mad rush of Jive or six hundred genllemen for the prize of tho quite inadequate number of cabs wailing. Then is the proud moment of 1 he cyclist, who jumps on his machine and glides swiftly out of Palace Yards, whilst belated friends and colleagues, seeing tho last cab appropriated, prepare to walk homo.” He adds that Sir John Gorst and the Balfour; aro cyclists. Another correspondent describes the Parisian devotion to the wheel, and grows eloquent about “zouaves” and “divided .skirts,” and a third laments that shooting, fishing, cricket and football aro seriously injured by tho growing preference for wheeling. “My kingdom for a horse” would not convoy so much nowadays as it did when the phrase was coined. Talking of horses remind; us of the cable message telling us that tho Khalifa has arranged relays of horses to got him away when the Egyptians get too near him. The story is too thin. All the great feats of rqaod in the Soudan are not done by horses, but by camels. Tho riding camel ambles away at twelve to sixteen miles an hour and keeps at it for days. Thus Father Olnwalder escaped some years ago from Khartoum with tho two nuns, and thus 81atin Boy got away the other day. If the Khalifa wants to get away quickly he will not use tho horse, but tho camel - an animal which his pursuers will bo sure to possess. Tlie story is clearly tho invention of the Aivib scouts. 3lr Until in, at Stratford the other night, demonstrated tho absolute correctin'!.;; of statement which distinguishes the average Opposition campaigner, by tolling his audience that their district lias Pern punished by tho Government for returning an Opposition member, by deprivation of the voted courthouse and post office, 'film fact, of course, happens to bo that both these buildings have been put up and occupied for mouths, as our local correspondent points out. A further illustration of tho absolute correctness of the Opposition in all things was furnished by our evening contemporary, who reported that tho lauding thanked Air Dutliio and passed a vol e of no-confidence in tho Government. Tim fact happens to be, of course, that I lie meeting thanked Air Dutliio and passed a vote of confidence in tho Government, with hearty ch jurs for Mr Sodden. Overpoworingly correct and wonderfully truthful are the Opposition champion.-; and organ.-;! j A project by aii Anglo-Egyptian com- | piny lor constructing a railway from j Massowah to Kassula, at a cost of a million j and a half, is announced in tlm cable j message.; this morning. It is mmol' i he | signs ol the Ism •. Wo hoar much of tho advance oil Khartoum by Doiigola a! mg the Nile valley, and wo observe Gist there is tho greatest reticence about its prospects and the movement of troops. Little bits of iuformalini get out occasionally, such as tlm appointment of Sir Red vers Builm' to the chief command “ in the autumn.” These are promptly contradicted, and I he j contradictions aro supported by enigmitical utterances in Parliament by Undersecretaries, such as the assurance given lately by Air Curzon that it was not contemplated to scud a British expedition to Dongola" in the autumn.” In tlm meantime tho report of the contemplated despatch of an Indian contingent is not contradicted ; and the arrival of British regiments at Suakiin speaks for itself ; as dues also the peremptory order of the Italian General to hold Kassala at all hazards. Now comes this railway project, authorised as a thing cut and dried and ready for immediate work. All of which j points to tlm conclusion that the advance ( oil the Soudan is a thing of careful pro- j paration ; that the desert route from the Red Sea has boon selected as better than the line of the Nile, or at least, equal ; and that tlm expedition to Dongola, may be a, i blind to cover the main advtiiee trom tho I Red Sea. What is clear is that a very serious operation is being organised. !

One cannot help pitying the unfortunate men who have been suddenly taken from a life of wealthy luxury at Johannesburg and plunged into a 15 years’ term of detention in a Boer prison. But then, if these men had been hanged wo should have had to pity them more; and it is difficult to say why, in strict justice, they should not havo been hanged. There is balm in Gilead, however. Tho astute Boer, who lias every right to protect Ins country, lias proved that lie is merciful as well as astute.. It is clear that ho will use the sentences as a lover to get his own terms from the Uitlanders. Too enlightened for revenge, ho wants a bargain, la making his bargain ho will not forget that the British power is to him a necessity. He must work with it, if ho wants to maintain his existence. He owes much to the British. They helped him when lie was nearly wiped out in Natal. They broke the Basutoaud Zulu powers when lie was powerless. They helped him by aunoxaj tiou to pay his way. They developed his | mines and made him rich; and in IS9I Cecil j Rhodes saved him from bankruptcy. He has ever since played off the Protectionist Capo against Free'.rude Natal, manoeuvring with railway agreements and tariff conventions. Ho has tried to get, an independent outlet to tho sea by Delagon Bay, and he has got it .and found' it useless, b.v reason of the hundred miles of lever and the Portuguese inertia on the coast. Ho / is aware that ho has to make his way with the British, and he will not be hard • therefore, but lie will do the best lie can for himself. “ Deter <\g desiprre i.i /ore/’ which, being freely translated, means tint there is no law to prevent us from getting laughter out of any part of a newspaper. Therefore lot us r sad (he topsyturvydum of tho American school-boy who was invited to write an essay on breathing - Breath is made of air. Wo breithe with our lungs, our lights, our liver and kidneys. Il it wasn't for our breath we would die when wo slept. Our breith keeps the life agoing through the nose when we are asleep. Buys that slay in a room all d ty should not brenthe. They slimiM wait, till iliev get out of doors. Boys in a room make had, unwholesome air. They make eurbonicido. Carbonieule is poisoner than mad doge A heap of soldiers was in a black hole in India, aula earbonieidc gut in that llmro black Imla and killed nearly every one afore morning. Girl; kill the breadli with corsits that squeeze; tho diagram. Gilds can't, holler or run like hove because their diagram is squeezed too much. If I was a girl I d rather lie a boy, so 1 can holler and run and have a great big diagram. A good excuse wo always appreciate, especially when it covers a retreat from a bad position. Buoh, for example, was tho excuse given by a canny Ucol to a charming singer not very buig ago. The lady is Alls.; .Marion Mackenzie, tho contralto, of what some writer; facetiously call “the English Quartette,” which is shortly to visit the colonies. The canny Bcol was: tho secretary of a concert committee in olio of the towns of “ Bonnie Scotland/’ Ho had invited her to sing at his concert; sho named her berms, tins usual terms; ho said “Ala cert in” and other thing.;, lie | protested the abject poverty of his cmn- ! milleo, impleaded tlm deserving object I he did, in short, the usual crawl before offering half the money. She accepted beenUio it happened tli.it sho was to sing tho same night very near tho ol .her place. In due time she came, she sang, and sho conquered. After which Air .Secretary interviewed her. Again lie said “ Ala Ce.rt.io/’ and then he handed a cbequo which was filled up for tlm figure oiiginally demanded, not tlm figure offered after the usual crawl. “ Not, a word — not a word -I ken you’re worth it.” It was olio of those answers which cover retreats. But it gave Air .Secretary and his committee completely away. They had cheapened the article, of which they did not know tlm value, and, like many oilier clieapmiers, they had lied about their motive. Happily, unlike oilier cheap.-nors who lie, they dubbed up the original price as soon a; they found the article good. The canny Se .1, you see, who ii is all the instincts of ihe hard bargainer, is sometime.. redeemed by bis native honesty. “Tho diver discovered the skeleton of one of t lie victim; of (lie wreck,” wo read in the account of tiio proceedings foi t he recovery ol tlm Gailerthun’s gold. Wo havo net forgotten the last scene of that wreck. It was indicated rather than de ,cj-;!..-(| by the oilier who said that all or vainly attempting to induce Urn women to leave the saloon for tile deck he rushed up t he companion just in time to bo Hosted oil lie-ship foundering under him with tins 1 plunging lurch. Those poor women went down in ! list, saloon and limy are there n.,w. U hat was it: that diver saw ? Palmer, the ''.ell-known diver, comrade of Lambert who sent up t he gold from the Alphonse Xll , ..II Grand (.’unary, and was once oiiaduwed a whole week by u shark, whom be eventually ..coined and sent to tim .-ui'i'sv, Palmer wa; remarkable for terrible ::tori>v> he used to tell of what he had seen. iiu talked once, of dead women floating above him, all round, some of them standing al the lead of tho companion ladder of a sunken steamer, their hair streaming behind them, sumo hugging infants in their stiffened arms. That is something like what that diver saw on hoard the Galtrrtiiun down there on her cradle by tlm Seal bocks. Lambert's feafc with tho treasure off Grand Ganary was performed at a depth of f'lj.t fathom.-;. Two comrade; who were at work with him died of the pressure. Probably, being less wary and expert than Lambert, i hey came up too fast, fail, d to gradually get accustomed to tho reducing pressure, travelled faster than the regulation average of two feet, per second upwards ill fact. The e.i isiajuej. v.as idm-tl rush of blood f.> the j.-;, t :di<-r sudd-M release Ol tile press-I.'l . At 2 J i- IT. • 1, lie? Deepest dive ever undo tho pressure is 88Gb to

every square inch of the diver’s body—say a squeeze all round and up and d>wn of 100 tons. Divine;' is belter to read about than to do. If the woman I iron'll had got oil on the plea of coercion by her husband, then every wife would have been tree to assist her husband—if he chanced to bo acriininal in every kind of wickedness. i\o doubt the marital relation does often prove very galling to the weaker vessel ; for which reason the law has always been careful, even in its most barbarous days—say a hundred years a,40 —to protect wives from Inane- punished for the evil conduct ot tyrannical and brutal husbands. Hut it is also true that the wives are sometimes the instigators and the upholders of crime in all its details. Of that extreme bady Macbeth is one instance. Mrs Manning, on the other hand, was an instance of equality of husband and wife in crime. Obviously, then, the duty of the law is to draw the line whore it will protect the women who require protection, and leave those who are guilty to Die punishment which is their due. in Mrs brown's case it was virtually contended that the mere fact of her being’ a wife was enough to cause the quashing of her conviction ; and there was nothing to show that there had been any overt acts of her husband by which coercion might bo implied. The Judges have do- | cided very properly against such a doctrine. What the Privy Council may do wo ! may not surmise, but wo think Mrs brown may as well make up her mind to a | substantial period of detention. King Richard is himself again, and being himself his enemies are not at all pleased with him. That is as it should lie. About the many matters on which he enlightened tho Hastings people it is hardly necessary j to say much. Theio is only one thing'', indeed, to bo said oil that subject. It is that evidently tho people of Hastings have ; never been informed as to what has been j going on in the political field. Even in the present political campaign they do- ) pend on their Conservative politicians and j thoir organs for information. One incident j in this connection is typical. Mr Seddon told thorn the story of Mt Wilkie’s circular offer to thocountry papers, which fell into tho wrong bauds and was duly exposed. Tho Hastings audience roared with laughter, but the story is exactly 1 l months old. It is a proof that Hastings has never heard of all the new things in the political world. | Its people are under the heel uf Russell | Rip Van Winkle and his crew. And there j are many more districts in the same case, j It is good to see Ministers moving among ; those folk, lotting daylight in wherever! they go. Henri Rochefort is tho great journalist whoso biting articles in tlm once famous Lanlernc, published in lirussels, did more to break down tho pinchbeck Second Empire than anything else, but the triumphant journalist did not come to tho surface and dominate when he got tho Empire down. Indeed lie managed to force himself to lower depths, for he got among the Communards and was banished to New Caledonia. He escaped, showing his one talent, which is to save himself from his enemies. Why is ho not prosperous and powerful ? Probably because ho is one of those cranks! who cannot save himself from himself. If anyone doubts let him read the correspon- j deneo between Rochefort and the editor ot tho Fiijnro. As an art critic who d'*als with pigments and their ellects from the highest point of view, into which politics can in no way enter, R .cheb rt agreed with his editor that 1m ought to retire for fear of political mi--'.uiii.lei.;tair!::ig. It K tolly,: but the letters are nmd-ls of <•■ mide. ; y, ■ delicacy and the m u v 'mod q'uxoh. m. , by tic way, limy >. >■■ cabled over 10" the New York Hr,..' / to introduce i Mr Rochefort, who has undudaKOU to "do” j lhe Paris Salon fur the big Now \orle-r. j ( treat is American onterpri. "! Hero are j Hi • letter.: - ‘ 1 ;Jy hi ak Co.ntkkuk.—Six months ago I ■ l.'i.'Ojio vl i.int you should re vis v, the. o 11011 «ii j !>;)(> in l-im /■',• .7 o- >, and you very kindly coil- ; routed. We were Infill ti..:c •, 1 tint art and i politics were very ililt'orjiU t!jiius, and tint] all tho rea l *rs of the /•'<';/ ic • would be oleased | to see again the Ggnaluro oi the Parisian j master in a paper in which he had had his j tiest great successes. •Since our conversation you will doubtless 1 vof.-licct bie bm.dt we had together at Pail- [ 1 t.rdV, at line time wit u U.e maiingrurmt of tile i-'t'-j tea was repined '. > be c m-piiing a ; ; . IPii'and s in f,i ,'"ii • of be; prin :cs. (pipin' | (vmadja it appear;'.! to me that polities - 1!i i.;u trouble some polEies !--sit us atop'poeit.i exiacaiidei; of tie.; held oi buttle aa 1 that, even in A l '; domain of art, tlm chief e'iifor of the //<■ ’/'.mi..o;/> '■ r.•>£. would feel ill at e !, in tho /•'<’;/ ’• ••■ You run-if not regard yoar-odf as bound by soar m'Oinisc or review to* oa.oa \n our

r I paper contrary to your own inclinations. | Take back your freedom, therefore, if it is : agreeable to you. Wo .shall regret it keenly, j but. it would cause us still greater regret if i Henri Rochfort, felt a shadow of vexation | with a Paris newspaper in which his oriti--1 i cisins would have had so great a success.— ; | Very sympathetically yours, j April Id. Feunand he Kodays. Mv Dear Confrere,— Questions of art , j being those wnioh divide us the least, although they do divide 11s to a great extent, I had seen no objection to my criticising tho •Salon of ISOj in your paper. Put the Fi'/nro lias assumed so frankly hostile an attitude against tho Ministry I support—believing it, as I do, to be the only one that lias not made a mock of tho Republic—that both on your rea lens’ account and on my own f thought it was better to give up the idea of this casual j collaboration. I You have perceived quite clearly that 1 I should, for instance, have been exceedingly embarrassed when dealing with certain re--1 ligious pictures or with various portraits of ' politicians, and you would have boon 110 less I uncomfortable about it than I. Now, [ have j been sufficiently concerned for tho liberty of others to he anxious to preserve mv own, and t should he afraid that due regard for the j atmosphere in which 1 wrote would impair | 111 y artistic freedom. ; If my only return for tho large roinunora- , tion you have been kind enough to offer me were to cause you the loss of subscriptions I I should not forgive myself. My opinion, moreover, is also yours, since in your very ; cordial letter you express scruples which are ! identical with my own. .Sincerely yours, Henri Rochefort. April 17, 180(5. j "We were, in common with tho rest of tho ■ world, convulsed tho other day by tho ; betrayal of confidence on tho part of Dr Playfair. Since then wo have seen the lighter side of that groat question touched by an exceedingly able pen, which wroto ! to the Timex, wanting to know what pro- ' tection there is against the tribe of “Sairoy Damp,” “ Mrs Harris ” and the tribe of trained nurse. The letter, which wo subjoin, is amusing as well as suggestive. As our correspondents on the subject of j medical privilege have been so far pre--1 sumably men, “ Gossip ” writes as a woman I to inquire what is to become of women geneI rally if they are to begin troubling about privilege, defamation, and such troublesomo subjects. “Is not tho tedium of the sick-room immensely relieved by tho prattle of tho sick nurse, and monthly—lovable beings who are quite as deeply initated into the secrets of the sick-room as the doctor, and without any | of the disagreeable fears that usually haunt 1 him on the score of honour and consequences ? j “So long as we can get all the information wo can possibly desire through this fertile j source, and a thousand othor little channels known to every female inhabitant of tho ; globe, we can afford to see the ladies’ doctor i looked up under the seal of confession with- I oul finding ourselves any the worse. " la rural districts tho trained nurse is j con.-i lered a pol led godsend to the place j until .some busybody in high life awakens to the fact that she is the bee that carries the | pollen of unrighteous gossip from d tor to j door, and dismissal follows at the interesting ; moment, when the dull village is converted into a lively hotbed of scandal. l ' To sum up, you and the law may do as you please with the doctors, but spare, 011 spare us, the modern trained nurse.” ’ I Mi 8 'ddoii got a vote of confidence in ! tho enemy’s stronghold : lie got it 1 freely without: asking ; simply by the sheer | force of t lie speech lie delivered. That is 1 the chief point of the Hastings meeting. | The cause of tlm Armenians has dropped into the hands of tho English agitators, 1 arid the agitators have fallen out one with | the othor, as tho following will show: 8 mi. thing like a schi-un has occurred among die Eagli -!i L-Finls of the unhappy | Armenians. The immediate effect will he j likely to b; .-i i.vm:i, from the And >- I .Arm- :ii in i. iiirui* t"c, of which the Duke of j V. . .min: lor and th; Duke "t Argyll are ; leading members. Bevcr.ll members of the 1 I'oinmillee are difiiearlened at the utter I failure of the European powers to move the ! dali in to humus; methods of dealing with his I 1 'ht'i dial; suhjei'! -a 11 was proposed that the l coni 1:1 i Use should sen 1 a deputation to fit, 1 Petersburg to personally appeal to Ihe young I C.'.ar La 1 ike the Armenians under his protecj Lion ilo'Ji the Dukes and other influential j ooniiiiiti.oeiiioii emphatically declined to have 1 anything to do with such a fantastic j sihemc. They saw that it was a part of the i Russian -State policy to retain and improve the friendly relations between Russia and I Turkey, and, that biing so, no considerations 1 of persona! feeiing would permit the Czar to j interfere. Moreover, action such as was | suggest d had been tried on previ ms occasions v-ri.lairing to -o 1 p-,Elion direct to the Cber, ;n ■■;. ;i .■ i:h i..ic customary diplomatic cii.auiims. h. ; it .v .umed brusquely without a w.c-.l of explanation. The commiff jc, as body, was convinced by these and olimr arguemn' of the uuwi.dom of the proposed action. but a smill minority appear to 1 have resolved to proceed with the scheme.

/ Hero is a relic of tho past, lighting up vividly those days of British greatness to which we have alluded in our first leading article to-day. Nelson’s old vessel, the Foudroyant, which was some three years ago repurchased from a German shipbreaker, will shortly be placed on exhibition as near to London as tho river authorities will permit. She is being restored in every respect to the condition in which she was when Nelson’s flag flew from her masthead. She will carry the greater part of the original armament of 88 guns, and the guns are actually those in use when tho ship was in commission. It is proposed to dress the crew in the costume of the period. When tho Foudroyant once more sails tho seas, instead of being ignominiously towed from port to port, she will be the only existing fully rigged, armed and manned specimen of the li wooden walls ” of England and of the most glorious epoch in tho history of the Navy. Tho Foudroyant has had many vicissitudes, oven since her recovery from tho Germans. 111 the Thames she has boon first blown ashore in a gale, and then run into by a passing steamer, which,however, got the worst of it, and left a large piece of her plating sticking in the old hulk. After being on view for a short time in tho Thames tin Foudroyant will visit tho Naval Exhibition at Kiel. It is intended during the summer to sail her back to England and exhibit her at all the principal ports in the United Kingdom. It is contemplated also that the vessel should eventually visit the colonies aud tho United States.

A F’reotrade Zollvercin wo have always maintained is what is wanted by one side of tho Empire, and will never ho granted by the other. Tho following from Canada proves it : In tho Senate on April I.sth a discussion took place on a motion favourable to Mr Chamberlain’s project for an Imperial Customs Union on a Froctrade basis. Sir Mackenzie Bowoll expressed tho opinion that a Zollverein without preferential advantages would not moot with favour in tho colonies. If a preferential arrangement could bo arrived at between Great Britain and ficr dependencies whereby mutual advantages would be derived ho would gladly wolcomo it.

In tho Canadian House of Commons the othor day wo read that on tho occasion of tho Manitoba stonewall members in order to keep up tho debate road long extracts from newspapers and discussed tho affairs of other colonies. One member read and commented upon several chapters of tho Bible. Another re id and commented upon certain of Mr W. S. Gilbert’s “ Bab Ballads ” for tho space of an hour. There was some disorder on Friday, and two members vory nearly canto to blows; but on tho whole the sitting was borne with good humour by tho majority of members. Now, will anybody say that kind of thing is to bo endured ? And will anybody tell u,s what difference in point of principle there is between those outrages and the absurdities which our time-limit has banished ? What is Russia’s little game in Abyssinia!' Years ago an expedition endeavoured to obtain a footing on tho Rod Sea Coast, near the Straits of Babel-el-Mandob, a most ennui Hiding position. It was a filibustering expedition, of course. A dreadful Cossack made a fearful faux pn. Ho even ran counter to the French ally of his magnificent well-meaning country. The result was that the French ally trained some guns on him and his party, and captured tho lot. The Russian ollicial repudiation was something highly edifying. They proved tin extravagant abmvdily of the idea that Russia had anything to gain by j,laying any sort of purl m Abyssinia. Nothing could he more clear than that Jv.ll s. i l certainly never thought of such tilings, bet us compare these truthful protocols with a recent graphic doseripl ion : l ie; Red Cross expo lit ion which In ; left Rus.-.ia for Abyssinia consists of General Shvudoll, Captaui Svagiu and Lieutenant Koeliuvsky, with ten surgeons, six dressers, twenty .Sisters of Mercy, aud attendants, making a total of eighty persons. Tho enthusiastic crowd which saw tho travellers off at Odessa seemed to feel that the expedition has more than a merely humane significance. A Kmsi.au priost accompanies the party, with dOOt) silver crosses and as many small icons, or religious images, as presents. It is ex poet ;J in ollicial circles that this expedition will give Russia that fooling in Abyssinia which she has been so patiently trying to obtain. It appears after all that Abyssinia and the Abyssinians are a groat deal to Holy Russia.

Is is a curious c uuoaienco that the Jews of the world are rivals with Holy Russia lor assistance in tiie Abyssinian wars, but their aid is not for the forces of King Menolck. They are on tho other side. For example a London paper says:—“ Mr Joseph Sebag Montefiore, Consul-General for Italy, has received, in response to his.

recent appeal, subscriptions exceeding -£3OOO, for the relief of the sick and wounded Italian soldiers in Africa.” Now, as everybody knows, Montefiore is the most famous of all the Hebrew names. Tho Jews, it is therefore clear, do not support the Russian new departure. Their money is kept for tho Italians. Why should they favour Russia? There is no reason. They are treated in that country infamously. Their treatment is a disgrace to European civilisation. If there is any excuse for the abject cowardice of Europe in face of Armenian unspeakable murder and nameless outrage, it is in the fact that Russia has been allowed by the nations to oppress tho children ot Israel. Yet in Russia the Jews are loyal, and yet their loyalty is infamously ignored. Read this :—- Air Oswald John Simon writes to the Times saying that at the approaching coronation at Moscow, when representatives of various religious sects and communities outside the Orthodox Russian Church are invited, his Majesty’s Jewish subjects alone will be unrepresented. So general and comprehensive arc the lists of sects invited to send delegates that they include the Kant ties, who only number in all Russia 5000, a body which is notoriously apart from tne Jewish Synagogue as a whole. They stand in relation to Judaism much in the same attitude as the Plymouth Brethren do to the Church of England. Tho Jewish religion proper, numbering five million adherents who are subjects of the C/.ar, is deliberately excluded. What a monstrous complaint it is to allege that the Russian Jews feel loss Russian than other Russians when their Imperial master doos not treat them like any other Russians. Yet in spite of this conspicuous insult they go on praying for the Czar in every synagogue in his dominions.

Tho Intercolonial Fours are a thing of tho irrevocable past. Our crew, as we said yesterday, did tho right thing in issuing a challenge to the winning Victorian crew. The fact that tho Victorian crew offered to row them is equal to volumes of description of tho peculiar circumstances under which the race was run. They deserve the utmost praise that wo can give them for the honourable, sportsmanlike feeling that prompted their offer. It has been decided that time did not permit any further proceedings. That decision must lie accepted without demur. It comes to this :—The weather was unfortunate ; wo have to accept the verdict of tho elements: wo hope that another time all concerned will meet under better auspices ; aud there is nothing derogatory to anyone concerned, so that all can meet in tho next field with a clear record.