WAR NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XI, Issue 2937, 19 May 1877, Page 2

WAR NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Sir Stafford Nohthcote stated in the House of Commons that England was pledged to strict neutrality, that even an attack upon Egypt would not be considered a cause of war between Great Britain and Russia. Mr Gladstone may well rest satisfied with what he has done. But for the Bulgarian, massacres and Mr Gladstone's grand protests, either Russia would have hesitated to cross the Pruth or England would by this time have been one of the belligerents. The ordering of the British squadron to Port Said is a precaution against any injury being inflicted upon British interests in tho Canal. That Roumania should take steps to secure her independence is one of the most natural and laudable things in the world. In many respects the Roumanian people hare shown their fitness for the enjoyment of national life and independence. In the art of Parliamentary Government they have become adepts since 1856, not a long time in which to acquire it, and their aspirations irre-at kst likely to be realised. It was said that Russia aimed at extending her empire towards Constantinople/ But the Russophobists were answered in effect that the tributary states of Turkey sought. not Russian protection so much as all the rights and privileges of independent nations. Roumania is an ally of Russia, and we do not believe that, the latter will be guilty of the perfidy , which would exist in annexing the territory of a friendly and allied power. Russia- may annex a portion of territory adjoining her Asiatic frontier ; but her main object is probably to perform the' chivalrous and noble, act of assisting the Christian provinces of European Turkey; to achieve their 'independence. So fan we wish them success.

. .We are not' to believe the gross false-, hoods,, of' Turkish- pffi.cials about their victories and the number islain. , The co-respondents, do not seemj to 'have got the.' length' .of Karsj and we have consequently to put up with the " official " accounts of a repulse "at Batoum wjth a: loss to ; the Kus,sians of 40,000 men 1 Possibly a mistake of an .0 has) been made in the tran^missipn of ! the.news, 1 ; It appears as j^.pne B-ussiar army corpp Fas employed. An ( ' armj corps consists; nominally of .30,000, men \ but seldom- reaches. and [.nevar, exceeds j tjie, nominal iS.trength> , JBufc.tJhe story is j evidently unworthy of.jcredence, and , fspegttla%n .ig • jiselej3Si-/;; .Q&e. .^sinking' oi a Turkish ironclad is -important from' stwQiipoints.^of view,. . What is ; the, value of ironclads in a coStij§st with, land bat 4 . Ufityfa JEbte questionifn^y have received ananswerif the sunken ironclad was of the first class. It is probab.lQsa;t the. crossing j>fi\m Danube has ,fceeji u effected by the Russians under cover of their .batteries! rQould th,e ironclads »hav£ sustained tm fire from the batteries, that would have been next to impossible. -,The Ewssiaij army has crossed the river, and it, is: in the^tilejbnt.uph.6Althy country of the Itolnmfy&Hf t fc eteaJgefeil consider-! I-.;, ■ . i

atjon then suggests itself — So long 1 '*ia the Turkish fortresses remain untaken, c&i the Russian army venture to cross 'the Balkans ? The fortresses, on |t]ie cannot be starved into submis-,, sion so long as the Turks have command of the sea and the river. Can they be captured by assault ? The Franco-Ger-man and Crimean experiences are slightly in favor of. thY negative. The latest teler gram states that an engagement was then proceeding. The next may give the first account of a battle between the two armies.

j. We are afraid the Regatta Committee hare allowed their enthusiasm to cool, and the project which at one time appeared so feasible, and to have such bright chances for success has passed under a cloud, and now stands in danger of dying fiom sheer inanition. The Committee, at their last meeting adjourned, iv order to allow time for the town to be canvassed for support ; a good sub-committee was appointed for the purpose, and the intention, df holding the Regatta telegraphed by the Press Agency throughout the Colony, Since then nothing has been done. Several of the canvassing committee are anxious and willing to go. on with^the work, but Jack that support from the other members! they ought to receive . Starting with ouch high hopes it will be a lasting reproach to our boating men if they allow the idea to be shelved, and the spasmodic attempt of tho WanganuUes become a , byeword in the rowingworld.

The well known steeplechase horse Gazelle belonging to Messrs Mcßae and Nicholson will be Bold, subject to all engagements, by Mr Freemau Jackson at his sale on Wednesday next. .

In connection with the contemplated Art and Industrial Exhibition a telegram has been forwardtd to the Press Agency for transmission to the different jotirnils throughout the colony, stating that exhibits of colonial industry, objects of art, and scientific collections, would be received by the Wanganui Committee. By energy and enterprise the exhibitiou may be made of colonial importance, and do much to advance the interests of our own district.

The following gentlemen were elected by the Library Committee to bo an Exhibition Committee for the carrying out of all measures determined on for the establishment of Ihe Art and Industrial Exhibition in August next : — Dr Tripe, Messrs G. W. Woon, H. Calders, J. Gibbs, A. Cass, A. Tod, J. Ward, Field, G. F. Allen, W. F. Russell, A. Sherriff, and J. Thompson. It is, however, probable that other names will be added to the list at the next meeting of the committee, which will be held on Wednesday the 23rJ, at the usual time and place.

The committee of the Uuion Cricket Club drove over a few days ago to inspect the new ground, a space of about two chains by 3 chains, and enclosed by a new fence of hurdles. The- members of the committee expressed their satisfaction with the condition of the ground, and with the progress made by Mr C. E. Morgan, who superintended the work. It was decided to do nothing to the ground for another couple of of months, with the excoption of re- turfing some plnccs that bad been cut up by the horses in the recent cavalry tournament.

Professor Taylor and Lillie were received last night by a full house, and were perfectly successful in giving general satisfaction. The performance is quite as clever as our contemporaries had led us to expect, and certainly it far surpasses anything of the sort that has ever been seeD in Wanganui before. Lillie was received with great applause, and went through the most graceful evolutions with the greatest ease and skill. Together the two champions went through a very clever dance, singing at the same time a song composed expressly for them,and though laboring under the disadvantage of having no musical accompaniments, executed it admirably, and in first rate time. This defect will, however, be remedied to ni^ht, and other at tractions are offered iv the shape of prizes that nre to be given on Monday night, to the best skater, and to the winuer of a steeplechase round the rink on the skates. Some passable skating by the members of Ihe Rink Club Was to be scon before and after the performance, the falls and awkwardness of beginners causing great amusement.

Tenders are invited for tho erection of an hotel at the railway station, Marton, to be sent in up to the 31st in's't. The plans and specifications are deposited with Mr Donald Ross, of Taupo Quay. The plans disclose a building containing thirteen rooms with convenient out houses. '

A free and eujightened elector met the Hon. Mr Gisborne on the main road at Woodstock a day or two before the election. 1 He .expressed his desire to ask the candidato' a question. He explained that the enquiry was one that there need be no difficulty or hesitation in aolring. It was not one of those dry political questions of cfeueral iufcerest.but was one of individual concern to himself. In fact it might be reduced, if the candidate chose, to a personal matter between them, and could be disposed of at either Handler's of Gaylor'a. . It was not a large question of Water supply, though that ingredient might not be disassociated with the matter in hand, yet it would be on a much smaller scale than that of the Mikonui, Water Race. >In short, ' wound, up ; thja elector, ' Are you fioiog to "shout. ?'-^jPress, ' The commander of the Tnrkish army is ' Abdul Kerimf who has lately promoted- to be the chief of his staff a distinguished Scotch afficer, Campbell Pascha, who has already been bt great service ' in, organising the Turkish troogs. /, , ' _ ' Nino ships have- this- season been laden,' With ' wool at . .Wellington. Their cargoes contain 39,261 bales and packages, weighing 12,487(719 lbs, vaioed-'ftt £647,f6i. las^ season eight ships were~despatched, carrying: 31,464 bales- and packages, 1 weighing ,16,857 1,6921 ,692 Ibsi valued 9,i£6BO'fieS,^./\\ J ; The towns of, Gisborne, Eoslyn, Tapanui, . itfprniDgton, acid Lawrence, have been proclaimed under the Municipal ( Corporations Act, 1876, J ' „ The' people of Cromwell are petitioning for •eparatioq from Vincent County. The Honi D. Beid has promise! that their, petition shall be carefully considered, but said he was generally iii favour of increasing the, area of Oouiitiefl. ...u/o.i.j ,

■^ In' our Jeadefr of .yesterday t)iß.wordan italic* fcerff inadvertently' 7>ini'tteil :£•=';' In ;the year. 1^ 75 'fc$e quantity of [' tfural )and; 'alienated Was f. in round uumbeils 315,000 acres ' ! ~that is, soldi witfiia the year* /-> '• There was only one case of drunkenness tried before the Resident Magistrate this morning, which was punished iv the usual

manner. -- . - The Manchester Eiaraindr states tfcbat several of the large railway companies are about to adopt a new system of warming their carriages. Pipes passing beneath the floor of carriages of every class will be con" uecttd with the engine, and heated vapor passed into them. One of the advantages of tho system will be tbat travellers will bfi able to regulate tlie temperature of carriages in which they are travelling by means oi an iudex handle inside each compartment. , Particular have been published respecting a recent fracas between French and German sailors at Smyrna, when one of the latter was killed ; some English bein>{ also.pressut. A cill being made for songs, the French sang the " Marseillaise," the English I the •• Red, White, and Blue,'! and the Germans the" '"Mfotoh on the, Rhine." The FieDcb^>vho numbered forty, were the I aggressors, attacking tho Germans with their ( knives. The Germans defended themselves with the legs of, tables and chairs, and finally, although thirteen only in number, drove the Frenchmen away. The English did not interfere. Diplomatic correspondence is going on relative to the affair. ' -

Certaiu residents in Christchurch mußt hare feJt " queer " after "reading ftt tHe matutinal meal the following lively piece of intelligence in the Press. ;— We understand that a few mornings back a vendor of milk waa seen to replenish his cans from the side channel in one of the streets in the eastern portion of the city. As the channels generally receive a fair proportion of all kiuds of refuse, auimal and vegetable, no doubt the milk vended by this gentleman will be highly appreciated by his customers as having a good deal of " body "in it. The matter has, we understand, been placed in the hands of the police, und no doubt the delinquent will make his debut before Mr Mellish at an early date. >

A correspondent wriiinjf to the N. Z. Times gives it as his opinion* after careful examination, Uiatlhe generality of kero«}ne explosious are .caused by allowing the wick to burn till it is too short. This is especially dangerous Jwheii the", wick is smaller than the burner, for when the wick is turned up the flame runs along the dry or partially dried wick, aud if the wick be above the kerosene, immediately ignites it. An evening paper, to be called the News, is about to bs published from the Timaru Herald office.

The Auckland cattle market has been a sealed book to us for some time now, and we havo the depressing picture before our eyes of tue finest cattle boat in tho Colony, with the words " laid up " attaphed to ber name. The district has not felt the loss of I the trade because of the ever increasina; Wellington consumption more than taking the place of the departed demand, but with onr immense resources in the shape of fat cattle ikdoes seem bard we cannot continue to ruutho Sb. Kilda to supply the Auckland Market. The explanation is, however, very easy. According to our latest telegraphic advices, fat cattle were selling in Auckland at from 25s lo 27s per lOOlbs. Dealers" in Wanganui have to pay 18s .to 20s, and the freight and risk is so heavy as to make anything less thau 30s iv Auckland unremunerative. Before the Waikato farmers'were able to grow fat cattle in any quantity, Wangauui beasts could always.eommnnd from 32s upwards in Auckland, and the trade was profitable, but gycu then the risk of bad weather made the venture rather speculative.

The children of the Roman Catholic school gave an entortainni-.nt last night in their school room. A great man}' of the children's parents and other visitors were in attendance who expressed themselves highly gratified with the admirahle manner in which the recitations and songs were conducted, some choruses giving especial satisfaction, The meeting was under the patronage of the Right Rev. Dr Redwood, who at the close of the proceedings addressed the children, expressing his pleasure at the performance, and his thanks for the entertainment tbat hud been afforded him. His Lordship gave the children some bind and practical advice in a manner that the youngest amongst them might uuderstuud, urging upon them the necessity of study, and the great advantages tp be derived from application and attention tp their work, at a time of ng& when it should prove a pleasure to them. Concluding b^ congratulating the schoolmaster and mistress on the satisfactory manner in which the eveniugs's cutertainmcut had been carried out. Some prospectors on the ranges of the West Coast of the Middle Island have discovered a green stone hatchet, which is exceedingly remarkable, in as much as the locality is one that is supposed to have been very little inhabited by Maoris. . By the Manawatu we have to welcome the arrival of Mr William Taylor, (son of the late Captain T. B- Taylor) who has beec absent from Wanganui about ten years. We notice [the arrival per. Manawatu .of two Marlborough race horses. Mr George j Stevenson, wsll known to Wanganui racing, circles, brings ,vrith him Jonathan; Wild and Tapanukat both; horses have stood the passage well, and appear to be in the best condition. ■ •. ; '