ENGLISH CLIPPINGS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 1597, 9 December 1876, Page 4

ENGLISH CLIPPINGS.

(Pall Mall Budget, Oct. 13.)

The Russian St. Petersburg Gazette says that a war between Russia and Austria is " evidently inevitable." Russia cannot remain passive when the reactionist diphv macy of Austro-Hungary opposes its veto to the demands of the Slavs on the Balkan for freedom and independence. Austria arrogates to herself a dictatorial part m Europe, which is the more unwarranted as it is directly contrary to the logic of history, the demands of the time, and the ordinary notions of humanity A collision between Russia on the one hand and Austria and Turkey on the other is therefore not only possible but very probable ; and it will be interesting to consider under what conditions such a war would take place. The chief points to be considered would be the attitude of England and of Germany. As to England, she is at present m no way dangerous to Russia. The alliance of Germany could hardly be reckoned upon by Russia m the event of a collision with Austria ; but we do not particularly require German aid. Austria does not m the least terrify us, and if Germany will only remain neutral, as Russia did m 1860, 1870, and 1873, we do not require any more assistance from her. There is one very important circumstance, too, which should not be lost sight of. That the Austrian army is well organised is undeniable ; but it should not be forgotten that the greater part of it is composed of Slavonic elements — Croats, Illyrians, Dalmatians, &c, who not only sympathise with their brothers on the Balkan, but do not entertain very friendly feelings towards the Magyars and the Austrian Germans, who treat them with arrogant contempt. Such soldiers are hardly to be relied upon m a •war. . .

Our troops, on the other hand, are entirely united, and are inspired with one and the samo idea. If we are to make war, the present time is the most favorable for our doing so. Never was Russian society or the Russian people so enthusiastic and united m its aims. We should, therefore, not avoid war, but declare it, and thereby free Russia and Europe from the burden of that armed peace compared with which an energetic war would be a benefit."

The inhabitants of the little town of Shoebury are at the present moment strenuous advocates for the substitution of arbitration for war. The 81-ton gun has not been actually brought to bear upon them, but the damage it has indirectly inflicted on their dwellings is of a most serious '. nature. There is, it is stated, scarcely a building within a mile radius from the spot where the firing has taken place which has not been damaged m windows or ceiling. So great has been the atmospheric disturbance caused by the interesting experiments with the gun that the compressed air m the cellar of a neighboring hotel has actually blown up one of the hearthstones on the ground floor. Of course the owners of the damaged houses naturally look to the War Office for compensation. England, they urge with some show of reason, i.s not at war with Shoebury, and it is hard on that place that it shculd be the first to beat the brunt of the latest improvements m engines of destruction, which, moreover, they have been led to believe will never be required. How far these arguments will be of avail with the authorities remains to be seen ; but m the meantime a sergeant of Engineers has beentaking observations at the various houses. He does not seem to have brought any money with him, nor to have given even a hint as to his object, which may possibly be the litter demolition of the injured houses. His presence has, however, excited a gleam of hope, and it speaks well for the victims of these " Shoebury atrocities " that he was not detained as a hostage.

Au important movement has been initjated m St. Pancras, the object of which ia, according to the Daily Cluvnicle, "to enhance the dignity of the office of churchwarden of the pariah." It i 3 proposed, it the 6rat inatance, to buy by public subscription, at the cost of not less than 100 guineas, a badge — such as that worn by cabmen, but of course much grander— and a gold chain, by which the badge i 3 ■to be suspended round the church-' warden's neck. The purchase of a " scarlet gown "ia also talked of ; and thus arrayed it is confidently hoped and believed that the appearance of the churchwarden will strike all beholders with awe, and preserve that functionary from the ribald jesting of the ignorant to which local authorities are too often subjected. . It is urged by tho promoters of the movement that the time has arrived when the vestries of the metropolis " should take some steps to assume a little more of the dignity which belongs to them of right m their corporative capacity." Their backwardness m taking such step is attributed to a weak notion that the course proposed " would induce ridicule rather than add to the respect which should attach to a man selected as a representative of his fellow-parishioners m their local legislative assembly." This is obviously a mistake, and accordingly a step m the right direction is to be taken by arraying the St. Prancaa churchwarden m a costume worthy of his position. If the experiment answers, the assumption of robes by vestrymen will no doubt'become general, and it is confidently anticipated that "the adoption of the proposed mark of ' distinction m St. Pancras will operate as an example to other metropolitan parishes, and pave the way to the extension of municipal and self-governing powers." The matter has been placed m ' the hands of "an influential and respected Pancrasian, who has thrown himself heart and soul into the movement, and will carry it out to the "bitter end." ;

It is really a pity that some greater care is not taken by..the Board of Trade as to the exawinatiqn of emigrants Bailing from the Thames and elsewhere for-Australia and New Zealand. The Hnruriui, a fine vessel belonging to the NeW Zealaid Shipping Company, and well : found 1 m every respect," started last week for Wellington, New Zealand, with a large mink ber of immigrants on board. Scarlet fever broke out the . day after her depar-. ture, the ship put inte , Weymputli, and two families wore landed^. . ThJp guruaUi.

then went on to Plymouth, and m the interval, as might be expected, four fresh cases occurred. As a natural consequence, j these unfortunate emip rants have been | turned out of their ship into a Govern- j ment hulk lent for the purpose, and will ! m all probability be detained at Plymouth at least a fortnight. The question arises, Could the disease have been discovered at Gravesend when the medical examination took place before starting 1 We reminded our readers on the loth of last month that the Government tariff for medical inspection of emigrants is rather more than 2£d per head, or m round numbers 20s " for every 100 persons so examined." So reads the Act. Those who witness the inspection at 2jsd per head can best tell whether such "an examination is, medically speaking, protective m any way or not. If not, the New Zealand emigration " events " of the past two years reflect very discreditably upon the Board of Trade, and tend most materially to discountenance a system of emigration tlwat has been and is assuming very healthy proportions. Count Arnim has been sentenced to five years' penal servitude for treason and for calumniating the Emperor and Prince Bismarck. A Berlin correspondent, writon the 7th instant, Bays : — The condemnation of Count Arnim for high treason, which was much doubted m legal circles, causes great sensation, especially as the evidence of the compositor Mathial, on whose depositions the public prosecutor principally relied to prove Count Arnim the author of the incriminated pamphlet, has been refuted, m (many points, by the testimonyof Counts Hompesch, Waldcott, and Bassenheim, and Mr Schabelitz of Zurich, the publisher of Pro Nihilo. President Thiers, m an autograph letter to Count Arnim, handed over to the court by counsel, also solemnly declared that m the negotiations for the treaty of evacuation he had insisted on an immediate delivery of Belfort. a claim strenuously opposed by the German Ambassador. The assertion m the indictment to the effect that Count Arnim intentionally retarded negotiations for the treaty of evacuation, was finally rebutted by the production of the following telegram from Prince Bismarck to Count Arnim : " Our conditions are il laisser ov a pr3ndre. I have already informed the French Ambassador of their principal contents, and I do not doubt their acceptance. If not, I don't care (' Wenn nicht, derm nicht '). We can wait " The concluding paragraph had, strange to say, been omitted m the charge of the public prosecutor. General indignation wa9 expressed at the rigorous conduct of the High Court of State, almost conferring to Count Arnim the crown of martydom, and joy is expressed at the approaching abolition of this exceptional court on the introduction of the new Imperial law reforms. Should the report of Count Arnim's condemnation to penal servitude be confirmed, he will probably be deprived of the privilege of nobility. The ex-Am-bassador ha 3 prudently prevented "an eventual sequestration of his estates m Russia by a partial disposal or partial transfer of them to his son. The execution of the sentence of imprisonment, declared fatal to the Count by medical authorities, not being practicable, a commutation of the same to a fine may sooner or later be expected. In the interest of Government, seriously endangered by treating such a high official like a common criminal, his continued persecution must be regretted.

The Spanish Government are now taking energetic steps to put down the insurrection m Cuba. A telegram to the Daily JSfeivs says that 24,000 men, or onefifth of the entire army, drawn by lot from all the troops m Spain, departed recently for the island. This number is m addition to the largo reinforcement now embarking. A royal decree has been published at Madrid appointing General Martinez Campos commander-in-chief of the Spanish army m Cuba. A reinforcement of 25;000 aoldiers will leave Madrid on the 20th instant for the island, and several newly-built cruisers are about to join the squadron stationed m Cuban waters.

Great expectations appear to be formed m America of the profit likely to arise owing to the growing demand m this country for American beef. " The new export trade m meat, cattle, and horses to Britain," says a Canada correspondent of the iVeiy York Tribune, "is most encouraging, and when the trade once becomes an established fact steamers will be provided to facilitate the rapid conveyance of these articles, so as to secure the meat from injury and also ensure as much as. possible the comfort and safety of the living animals. We can raise stock as cheaply and as good as any countiy, even apparently more favorably situated. It will not require one half the labor to raise stock oh Canadian farms which it now requires to grow cereals, and all we want is a steady demand for our supplies, not dependent on home or local requirements.. It is not so much high prices as full demand we require ; the cost of rearing ten colts or steers is not anything like ten. times the cost of rearing one of either kind ; but hitherto stock-raising has been conducted more as a supernumerary interest than a regular business. Each farmer can, and so far has, reared a few head, aud this has furnished the supply ; but, once a home market is opened to us : as a certainty, our attention will be turned more readily to stock-raising as a staple article of export than that of growing wheat ever was. We cannot estimate the immense value of this trade to Canada. It will enable us to produce manure m quantity arid quality hitherto impossible, and farms that'are now manured once all over m probably ten or twelve years will be renovated every third year. A ter.ant of ours told-me a-dayor two since that he intends stall-feeding sixty head of cattle on his farm, m anticipation of the demand from home continuing." >