NEWS BY THE MAIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5560, 23 January 1879, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL

The full text of the correspondence on the subject of the international difficulties which arose between the English and United States Governments is now published. The pointy in dispute has been whether the general sanction of a treaty can override the letter of specific local regulations. The Newfoundland Government justifies or palliates the rough treatment by its subjects of American fishermen on two pleas—first, that in fishing on Sunday they were violating a Newfoundland Act passed two years ago; secondly, that the method in which they were fishing was illegal; thirdly, that they were fishing daring a close time of the year. As regards the first of these allegations, the United States Government denies that any local Newfoundland Act can limit to six days a right of fishing which has been paid for on the assumption that it extends to seven days. As to the close-time plea—that is not likely to he pressed by our Government, since the Newfoundlanders themselves frequently disregard the prohibition ; as to the other points of the dispute, there can be no real difficulty in settling them since the interests of tho Americans and of tile Newfoundlanders arc in a great measure identical, viz,, not to exhaust the fisheries by wasteful methods of capture, nor ij it likely that the American Government will persist in denying the reasonable right of the Newfoundland authorities to exercise a police control within three miles limit of their shores. That the American Government take this view of the matter may be interred from the fact that payment of the Halifax award has already been made.

Count Schouvaloff has returned, after his wanderings, as Russian Ambassador to London. Whether he has or has not succeeded in his mission to the Courts that he has visited, and what precisely the object of that mission may be, is doubtful. So far as he may have aimed at bringing England—an entirely gratuitous hypothesis, by the bye—into antagonism with any Continental Governments, it is quite certain that he lias failed. There can be no doubt that Lord Beacousfield’s words at the Guildhall, , “ Whatever other signatary may withdraw from the Treaty of Berlin, Great Britain will not be that signatary,” have produced a great effect, and have been followed by the happiest results. Both iu Austria and iu France they have elicited a strong determination to support Great Britain. There is not only every reason to suppose that Count Schouvaloff’s mission has been pacific, but there is also every reason for thinking that Count Schouvaloff wishes for peace above all things. This is the time when the Daily News—which, in peaceful periods, from its colorless frigidity and an odd strain of dissatisfied carping at all which the ordinary British reader loves, is apt to fall in public estimation—once more leaps into the old position which it first attained in the Franco-Prussian war. The employment of Mr. Forbes and other great, if lesser, lights shows that the best men are engaged ; while it can be readily imagined that no expense is spared, when it is known that, as each word telegraphed from India costs four shillings and sixpence, the expense of each of Mi. Forbes’s communications must amount to several hundred pounds. Mr. Archibald Forbes has again succeeded in surpassing all his competitors, and in sending over the wires a description of the capture of Ali Musjid as succinct, as glowing, and as interestiug, as though it had been written at his ease, with all the accessories at his hand, instead of scribbled amidst the din of the Indian battlefield.

The wedding gift which tho Irish nation is about to present to H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught has not been decided upon as yet, and will of course depend upon the amount subscribed for the purpose. The maximum limit is a pound, the minimum one shilling, and many will he the contributors. In the Honorable Charles Bourke (the late Lord Mayor's brother) and Mr. Penrose Fitzgerald, the committee have secured a brace of very able secretaries.

Some of the most interesting and not least characteristic judgments of Prince Bismarck find no place iu the new volumes. Here is his view of English statesmen “Whenever I come to close quarters with the English Government and 1 feel its pulse, the more I am struck with its complete want of systematic and consistent ideas. They waver ; aud you find that there has been an election, or a meeting, or a newspaper article, which has thrown them into a panic. It is just the same whether Lord Beaconsfield or Mr. Gladstone is Minister. No Turkish pashas are more afraid of the Sultan than are these English Grand Viziers of public opinion ; and unfortunately this Sultan is not less capricious or less uninformed than the other.” Someone having observed that Lord Beaconsfield was a great party leader, and that Mr. Gladstone was a great financier, the Prince added:—“ If Lord Beaconsfield really deserves that reputation, he mnst lead his party much better than he does his country ; and if Mr. Gladstone’s finance is so admirable, it must be conducted upon very different principles from those of his foreign policy.”— Atlas.

The s.s. Kent takes out Musket, one of the noted Glasgow stable, lately dispersed. He was bought for the stud by Messrs. McLean and Co., of Waikato, New Zealand, and after bis racing career here cannot fail to be an acquisition to that colony. He ran as a twoyear old in 1869, but was not placed. In 1870, Newmarket First Spring Sleeting, he ran second to Idus, in the plate of 100 sovs., one mile, being beaten by a short head, and lie won the Handicap Plate of 200 sovs., two miles, beating Granuaile by four lengths, and Miss Polly. At York Spring Meeting he won the Flying Dutchman’s Handicap, of 280 sovs,, one mile and a quarter, beating Viscount, by half a length, and Waterloo. At Ascot he won the Ascot Stakes, of 505 sovs., two miles and a half, beating Silver Band, by a length, and Curio. At Worcester Autumn Meeting he won the Queen’s Plate, of 100 guineas, two miles, beating Dutch Skater by a length, and Blue Gown, At Shrewsbury November Meeting ho won the Queen’s Plate of 10 I guineas, three miles, beating Dutch Skater by six lengths, and Sornette; and the Severn Cup of 390 sovereigns, two miles, beating Cardinal York by a head, and Our Mary Ann. At Warwick be won the Great Midland Counties Handicap of 371 sovereigns, two miles, beating Stanley by three-quarters of a length, and Bonny Swell. In 1871, at Ascot, he ran second to Rosier acian in the Alexandra Plate of 1250 sovereigns, three miles, being beaten by three-quarto- ,-s of a length. At Warwick he won the Midland Counties’ Handicap of 720 sovereigns, beating Black Gown by half a length, and Westley. In 1872, at Ascot, he won the Alexandra Plate of 1195 sovereigns, three miles, heating Albert Victor by two lengths, and Don Oarlos.