The Old Country.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XX, Issue 6361, 16 September 1895, Page 4

The Old Country.

(FBOM OCB ETGIXSH COBBEBPOM)iarr.) Losdos, August 10. - The new Parliament meets in two more days. Nothing has transpired as to any measures to. Le proposed. The country has so firmly-«-eated the Conservatives in power ihnt, if they so will, they can do wiihciu: iheir Litwral-Uuionist allies. A smaller majority would have suited the laiter better. for they are disarmed of a lanje part of the power they possessed of compelling the Conservatives to hold themselves at their behest as to the measures to be proposed. Lord Salisbury's will now 1« a "rest-and-be-thankful" attitude. Nobody expects any revelations in the Queen's speech. The estimates will be voted and other necessary business done, and legislation will be at an end for this year at any rate. There is no reason for hurry : have not the Government got six years to do all they have a mind to do?

Mr Gladstone has delivered a great and eloquent speech on the cruelties of the Turks in Armenia. In his 86th year j none of bis natural force seems to be | al'ated. After a powerful indictment; asxinat the Sultan, be concluded a power- j ful peroration, by baying, " We must be determined that, by the help of G"d, so ! far as depends on us, that which is necessary, and that which is just, shall be d'inc. whether there be assistance or whether there be none." Canon M'Coll, who ha<* investigated the matter and published the results, says "I know what I am saying when I express my delilierate conviction that hardly a Chr'a ian woman of adult age can be fouiid in Armenia who has not been outraged by Kurds or Turks, and thi3 goes on daily." A concluding discussion in the Geographical Congress held in London had reference to the question whether the Dark Continent was suitable to the white man. Various were the opinions of the experts on the subject, but underlyine all differences there was undoubtedly a eeneral conclusion to »he effect that tmpical Africa, in the fulness of time, has a futuie for the white man. Mr Stanley summed up in two speeches by saying *• Africa must be opened up—an army cannot .-top it." The late Government looked with favor on the system of lhjht railways for developing trade in sparsely populated places ; it is hoped the new Government will do likewise. The light railway, being a sort of stemn tram line, would open up districts which cannot expect to have ordinary railway facilities, owing to the sparseness of population or absence of prospective tariff. It would especially hi-lp to develop certain a«rtcultur»l districts that are now practically cut off from the hest markets, end would thus promote the iutetests of an industry that has fallen on evil times. Mr Balfour favored the construction »f light railways in Ireland, and the experience gained on the other side of St. Genree's Channel should bo advantaseou.-ly utilised, in Great Britain, and also in the col mies.

Probably at no time has food been so cheap as now. Corn and meat are both cheaper than they wire two months ngo. The hot weather of the past week had its effect »n the meat trade of L-.ndon, and the large arrivals have met with a very irregular and weak demand. On Sttiirdan colonial meat was selling as low se* Id and 14 I per lb for the coarser parts. In fact, all kinds of food seem to be abnormally cheap. How is it the conttumiT does not benefit ?

The private deposits in the Bank of England, now L 41,500.000, have increased >•>• L 8.000.000 during the past six months. Financial experts account for this on the ground that the annual savings of the nation are L 50.000.000 sterling, now retained in this country since the Baring crisis, instead of being invested abroad What has become of the L 250.000 000 of monrv .saved during the five years since :he black year of 1890? It id surmised that whenever tho feeling in the city regarding foreign investments veers round again there will he large withdrawals. The London County Council has just p'aced a 2\ per cent loan of a million .sterling at "LlO2 7s sd. The lo:in was covered three times over. People who have to live on the iutorest of safe investments are n-w lieing severely pinched. One of the most useful and important of the movements of recent times is that >-f providing a country holiday for poor town children, one of whom at the first .sight of a held of waving corn remarked, " What a splendid place to dodge a policeman in I" He had not seen 6uch a sight hefnre. The following is a reminiscence coilcoming one of our favorite actresses : 'ln common with all young players, Phyllis Broughton has had h6r experiences in the form of curious letters and little unrehearsed effects. Of the former her mother takes possession, as she says'. * Phyllis is so careless, and always tears op everything, and I keep them as curiosities.' They are indeed 'curiosities.' Here is one from a stranger in If ew Zealand, beginning ' Respected miss,' and asking her in all good faith to go out and ntarry him, but begs her if she has other views "to suggest a friend or relation instead.' He explains his own qualifications and those required in a wife. 'They' must be this, 'they' must have that, and so on. He encloses his photograph, but acknowledges it was taken * before he had time to wash or •do his hair.' She is to send * them' out, or, indeed, he gallantly offers 'to go home and fetch them.'

The Weslcyan Conference this year had scarcely commenced business when, at the invitation of the secretary, a stalwart ne«ro minister was summoned to the front of the platform, and Bishop Ahrsi-. ham Grant was introduced to the President and the Conference. He had such a pleasant face and merry twinkle in his dark, sparkling eyes that we all called out ■ Speech !' In response he told us of his arrival at Liverpool on Friday, his visit to Hawardeu on Saturday to see * Grand Old Gladstone,' who received him kindly, and so on. Then followed eome wonderful figures concerning his diocese which took in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, and his Church, the African Methodist Episcopal, with half a million of Church meml>er!*, 3.200 ordained ministers, and 10.000 local preachers. * I have 1100 of the preachers under my direction,' said the Bishop. * and I give them their appointments,' which announcement greatly took with the Conference. The Tichborno !t Claimant has been outdone by a clever former, who lost his case in June at Santa Fe, New Mexico. He bad laid claim to a tract of land-in Arizona, 225 miles long by 75 wide, of great natural wealth, with 40.000 inhabitants, and valeted to-day at 75.000,000d015. This man, named Reavis, bad been a tramconductor, and had a face that bespoke a character of guileless simplicity and honesty. But for twenty years he had l>een at work forging the necessary attestations of. his claim. It was based on a grant made in 1748 by Ferdinand VI. of Spain to Don Miguel de Peralta de la Cordova, eta. etc.. with whose descendant the claimant bad also contracted marriage. The documents in bis possession deceived the ablest lawyers. To prepare them be had mastered the Spanish as used in the eighteenth century. He had so perfectly imitated the seals, signets and decorations of the Spanish court as to convince exSsrts in- archaology. .The commercial elograph-Company assisted him. The Southern Pacific Railroad advanced bim SO.OOOdols. It is' said that he spent a million dollars io his preparations. - A noted lawyer of St Louis was to havea fee of half a million in th* event of eucoao._ All promised well, till a young

gation, was employed by th& Government. He explored the archives at the city of Mexico, and. then at Madrid... His discovery'was astonishing. Thfc whole thins was a myth ; not only..was there no such Brant, but no such person as,Bon Migul. Reavis's able lawyers suddenly ratted. The case collapsed at once.

Leonard Harper, Jersey, a New Zealand solicitor, was called .upon, at Bow street Police Court, to surrender to his recognisances to answer a charge of fraud within the jurisdiction of the Briti>h colony of New Zealand, but failed to answer. The accused was arrested at St. Heliers some weeks since, and has been on bail. When last before the Court an officer from New Zealand gave evidence, and Mr Lushington then increased his bail to one surety in the sum of L4OQO, one in 1000, and the prisoner himself in LSOOO. Serjeant White, the chief gaoler, informed the magistrate that he had called the name of the accused out several times, but he failed to answer. He should have surrendered at 12 o'clock. Inspector Jarvis said he knew no reason for the prisoner's absence, and he bad not seen him or his sureties that morning. Before estreating the recognisances Mr Lushington directed that the solicitor who had represented him on the last occasion should be communicated with.

A young American, the son of a millionaire residing in Paris, has discovered another way in which money may be spent. A few nights ago he gave a dinner to his friends, 22 in number. Each was ! supplied by the host with a private coupe and pair to drive to the place of meeting and back. The dining-room was decorated with flowers out of season; and luminous fountains played upon large rocks of ice kept the air cool. The dinner, or rather gorge, showed splendid disregard of cost. Each guest had before him a whole leg of mutton, a whole salmon, a truffled fowl, h basket of peaches, and a double magnum of champagne, besides bottles of fine wines. At deasert a bag was passed round, from which each guest was asked to draw a keepsake, consisting of emerald links, pearl studs, and cigarette cases in gold inlaid with jewels. The Queen has conferred the decoration of the Albert medal of the second class, on Mr Hereward Hewison of Newcastle, New South Wales. The following is an account of the services in respect of which the decoration has been conferred: While a number of men were bathing on the sea beach at Newcastle, New South Wales, on the morning of November 28th, 1894. the cry of " shark ! " was suddenly raised. Everyone at once made for the shore with the exception of Mr Horace Hewison, who cried out that the shark had seized him, and immediately afterwards disappeared under the water. Mr Hewison, realising the danger of his elder brother, promptly turned, and, swimming to the spot, found that the shark had seized his brother's right arm. He at once grasped his brother round the body and the two fought the shark as well as they were able until the complete severance of the arm just below the elbow joint released Mr Horace Hewison, and affordrd them an opportunity to escape to the shore, which they succeeded in reaching without further accident. Mr Hereward Hewison assisted his brother by keeping behind him and pushing him forward. One of the Queen's oldest subjects, Margaret Anne Neve, aged 103, is the subject of a sketch in the Leisure Hour for August. She lives in the Island of Guernsey. At the age of 92, with her sister, aged 89, she visited Russia and Poland. One of her favorite guests at her home is her great-nephew, who is 100 years younger than herself. -She still attends church, standing and sitting as the order of service demands. Not long ago she climbed up a step ladder to a loft to look for something which had been mislaid. She reads family prayers morning and evening, and reads, sleeps and knits all day, returning to rest at 10 p.m. _^_______^__