General News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 19, 31 August 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

General News.

Brother Anthony, president of the De la SiUe Institute of the Christian Brothers, New York City, is, the Pilot believes, the pioneer in a movement which we trust will soon be general in Catholic schools — the awardi gof special prizes for excellence in athletic games, military drill, etc. When instructors of youth shall have thoroughly understood the necessity of the sound and supple body to the perfect work of the well- trained mind, and shall have given to physical cv - ture in the curriculum of our boys' and girls' schools the honourable •lac? which is its due, the sum not aloue of human happiness, but i f virtue as well, will speedily an 3 mightily increase, A Parliamentary Return showing the fleets of England. Franc-, Russia, Germany, and Italy np to tbe Ist day of April last, giving in detail battle ships, cruisers, coast defence vessels, and torpedo vestals and torpedo boats built and building, movel for by Lord Charles Beresford, is published this week. The number of battle ships of England completed is 42 ; completing and building, 7 ; coast defence vessels, 12 ; armour cruisen completed, 6; unarmoured, 63.; completing and building, armoured, 6 ; unarmoured, 18 ; torpedo vessels completed, 3 ; completing and building, 12, including two sharpshooters for Australasia ; torpedo store ships, 3 ; torpedo boats, fint« class, 86 ; second , 73. The total battle ships of France completed and building are sat down at 30 ; coast defence vessels, 19 ; armed cruisers, 4 ; unarmonred 63 ; torpedo vessels, 8 ; torpedo boats, 124. Russia has 9 battle ships, 24 coast defence vessels, 25 armoured cruisers, 3 torpedo vessels, and 24 torpedo boats. Germany has 13 battle ships, 16 armoured coast defense vessels, 29 unarmoured cruisers, 4 torpedo vessels, ana 92 torpedo boats. Italy has 21 battle ships completed and building, 21 unarmoured cruisers, 13 torpedo vessels, and 95 torpedo boats. Under the caption, " The Rascally Farmers— Why Don't They Pay ? " — the Dublin Freeman publishes this suggestive letter faha " A Dublin Shopkeeper ":—"" :— " July 1. Sir, I spent a few weeks lately in the County Limerick, which is always largely used lor dairy par* poses. The result of my observation is that pure new milk fresh from the cow is delivered at the creameries in Newcastle West and Kil* meedy at 3|d a gallon, Tbe Kilmeedy concern is elegantly got op, and received daily the milk of about 1,000 cows. New laid eggs may be had there at 44d a dozen, and I saw upland meadow on foot offered at 10s a ton. Is it any wonder that farmers can't pay the old impossible rents ? We pay 4d a quart here for milk and the unfortunate farmer in Limerick sells fonr quarts for 3£d. I will make no observation on these facts, but I would reipeotf ally invite public attention to them through the Freeman. I enclose name, but not for present publication." Mr. A. B. Forwdod'i calculation as to the Naval Estimates which would satisfy; Admiral Hornby is interesting. Admiral Hornby wants 286 cruisers, &i against 142 now built or building. The extra 44 cruisers would cost 37$ millions sterling. To keep up the enlarge 1 fleet and to keep it in repair would coat 1} million per annum in excess of the present vote. The manning, victualling, aod other votes would cost 2| millions extra, making a total of 4J millions permanently added to the Naval Estimates, which would amount to 18| millions per annum. The building of the extra 142 cruisers would entail a farther expense of seven millions per annum. So far Mr. 'Forwood. But why this elaborate demonstration of the impossibility of an 1 impracticable scheme 1 Forwood would have deserved better of his country if he had contented himself with emphasising the " open secret " that " our naval armaments and stores of munitions of war, and their mode of supply, were far from satisfactory, not to say in a serious condition of depletion." General Sheridan has written his memoirs, which, it is ezpeeted, will be published in two volumes towards the end of the year. A member of the publishiog firm says that the General's narrative ii very interesting. "He had usei tbe first person, and his book read like a romance. It was full of the General's adventures from tbe time of his graduation at West Point to the Franco- Prussian war, of which he was a spectator. In simple language be had given a graphic account of his Indian fights and his part in the late war. The book was so much like a story that it would sell even if the General's name was not connected with it as the author. Whenerer General Sheridan h»d found it necessary to use statistics he had put them in the form of notes, so that the narrative was never broken. Frequently the writing was strong and showed a clever literary hand. He had given a masterly account of his memorable ride from Winchester."

The crowd at Potsdam actually cheered the young JSmperor when be was following his fathei's coffin to the grave. A Royal funeral is always a miserable mockery, for there must inevitably be a large number cf persons in the cortege who, although arrayed in all the trappings of woe, are nevertheless as merry as friers in reality. A few years ago, on the day of Che funeral «f one of the most prominent members of the English Royal family, the coffin was lying in Btate in a chamber hung with black ; but a distinguished, foreigner, who entered to deposit an Imperial wreath, was scandalised to find two well-kaown noblemen standing at its foot in animated conversation, and laughing heartily. A formerly prominent member of the household was once appointed to remain m attendance on the coffin of a deceased member of the Royal Family on tbe day before the funeral. He was supposed to sit on one side, apparently absorbed in grief, but a person who entered hurriedly found nim lounging in an easy chair, which he bad dragged in from the next room, witk a pile of newspapers and a French novel, aod his f eet resting on one end of the stand on which the cofin was placed.— Truth.