CURRENT TOPICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4855, 20 January 1894, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

A contemporary says :— Little aa the French navy has distinguished itself since Trafalgar, it has a glorious history* scarcely, in some reepeota, aurpasaed by our own navy. In one respect at least the Frenoh, as long aa wooden ships lasted, were our superiors. They built (aster and better sailing ships, and it is believed by not a few of our naval officers that they continue their pre-eminence in this way. It is notorious that the best ships in our fleet in the long wars were thoße we took from the French. The British Army consists of 227,300, whioh can be inoreased to 337,300 of all ! ranks by calling up Class I. Army Reserve ! and the Militia Reserve, the latter term implying not a reserve for the militia, but the militiamen willing to serve in the regular army if called upon. To them must be added 116,352 militia (less 80,000 militia reserve) and 225,423 volunteers, 9869 yeomanry, with over 91,000 colonial troops and 147,503 native troops, and j nearly 30,000 white volunteers besideß the native princes' armies in India. Four lads, the youngest aged seventeen, the eldest but twenty, were convicted in England of burglary. They had broken into a warehouse, forced the safe, and carried off £600. The lad who forced the safe and took out the money gave his mate but .£7O on settling day. He reported that the haul amounted to but £140. He must therefore have had £530 for his own share. The confederate seemed much hurt when he learned from the police, on his arrest, the real proportions of the booty. He said, " Well* I'm blowed!" The cost of a genetal election, so far aa direct expenditure by the candidates is concerned, is set forth with remarkable amplitude of detail in a Bluebook compiled from the statements furnished to the returning-officers pursuant to the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act, 1883, and presented to the Imperial Parliament. From this we learn that the 1307 candidates at the last general election expended not far short of .£1,000,000 in what to nearly onehalf of them was the vain attempt to obtain a seat in the House of Commons.