THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1842, 16 May 1888, Page 4

THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

(PBR PRESS ASSOCIATION,)

London, May 12 Lord Brassey publishes a statement to the effect that the Whitworth Factory is supplying France with heavy arms to the exclusion of English orders. The Head quarters Staff recommended that the first and second English Array Corps be immediately placed on a war j footing, and that the Regulars be supplied with magazine rifles. In the House of Lords, Viscount Hardinge questioned the Duke of Cambridge as to the authorship of the statements made m the " Daily Telegraph " on the defectiveness of the defences of Great Britain. The Duke replying discredited the statements made by the " Telegraph," and said he believed the Government fully recognised the importance of the ma ter. Lord Salisbury assured the Lords that the Government were exercising the utmost vigilance for the defence of the country. In the present state of affairs m Europe, negligence by the Government m such a matter would be a grave dereliction of duty. At the same time, it would not be politic to disclose the nature of the precautions being taken . The Premier further remarked that he deprecated the panic, and protested against the statements made by Lord Wolseley at a dinner speech, charging the Government with neglecting the defence of Great Britain m such matters, being ventilated by Parliament. London, May 13 Lord Randolph Churchill, m a letter to the " Daily Telegraph " attacks the War Office, and corroborates the recent statements made by Lord Wolsely. London, M»y 14 It is thought that m consequence of Lord Salisbury's recent utterances m the House of Lords, Lord Wolseley will resign his position as Adjutant-General ( to the Forces.

The Press generally agrees that Lord. Wolseley is the only official connected with the War Office possessed of suffi cient courage to tell the truth plainly on the subject of the inefficiency of the service, and regrets that the only reward of his fearlessness and patriotism m the matter should have been a rebuke at the hands of the Premier.

Lieutenant - General bir Lothian Nicholson, Inspector- General of Fortifications, who has been under examination by the Array and Navy Estimates Committee, addmitted that though he estimated the expenditure at £900,000 for barrack accomodation, he only asked for £200,000 through fear of Mr Stanhope.

Sir John Lubbook, m his Early Closing Bill seeks to make an end of late shopping. It proposes that all shops, with some specified exceptions, should close at 8 p m. on five days m the week, and 10 p.m. on the sixth. The Bill also proposes that, when two thirds of the shopkeepers wish it, the local authority shall have power to exaot a weakly half holiday.

The decree of the Queen Regent of Spain for the celebration of the 400 th anniversary of the discovery of America directs invitations to be sent "to the Governments of Latin- America." The United States are, of course, not included m Latin-America. The celebration is to be exclusively a Latin affair, and, as such, probably an attempt on the part of Spain to renew friendly relations with {Spanish-American countries and an attempt to regain something of its lost commercial ascendency.

A curious incident is recorded by the " London Times " correspondent as indicative of the respect paid by the immense assemblage m the streets of Berlin to the memory of the dead Kaiser. It was an intensely cold day, and the crowd stood for hours together m the piercing froßt. But no one smoked. " One or two forgot themselves, but a general shout of nioTit rauchen I made them throw down their weeds, looking penitent and ashamed." Here is a curious instance of a democratic sumptuary law framed and enforced spontaneously against tobacco, as it its use were disrespectful to death . It must have been a severe trial for half a million habitual smokers to deny themselves oi their favourite luxury for hours, duriDg. which they must have sorely pined foe a whiff. Their fortitude, however, did not go the length of resisting the temptation of nips of brandy to keep out the cold.

What does the " Morning Post " mean by saying that only five of. the bridesmaida of the Princess of Wales " are left ? " They are all eight alive, all married, and none divorced. What they gave the Princess was their autographs bound up m a silver book, and enshrined m a silver casket of Danish work. There was great strife whether they or the 300 diamond-tiara ladies should take precedence, but m the end the bridesmaids were accorded it, sailed m, showed their autographs, and were allowed to look at the silver wedding gifts, whilst "Lady A." ao-'j her 300 ware left waiting m the next ro r jm crowded up like herrings m a barrel, rp^e bridesmaids, still no doubt beautifu 1 must have looked at each other, and reflr ct g d how 25 „^e ar fi, 1 l? d chan S ed their Bt y le - of beauty. mt^ m JLrutn

The past winter has bee^ remarkable O r the number and deatrnctr , c charaoter of h e avalanches which have ml]Gn m Switzer i and and the Tyrol In ehe Lower EDgadine a3 many as fourteen have descen ded m three days, where s'- aCh & phenomenon waa un . Known, mtP d Q r j gonß geven men were buried alive, and t' oof them peri she d . At Eavetsch z 'X? .*iers have lost their lives by a similar calar jl jy # j; ne village of Comasine, m Ihe Tientino, sixteen houses have been overwhelmed by an avalanche, and nine persons have been billed, and two others seriously wounded. At Sparone, m the valley of Oreo, Piedmont, no less than thirty persons have perished from a like cause. At Armaz, near Aosta, thirteen persons have been buried alive beneath an avalanche, and a similar catastrophe at Settima led to the destruction of three houses. Five corpses have since been recovered from them, while a young girl has been rescued alive. For two days all traffic was suspended m the streets of Turin owing to a heavy fall of enow, and railway communication was also put a stop to from the same cause.

The profits of newspaper enterprise may ba calculated from the fact that during the three years the •« Auckland Bell " was m existence £19,000 was sunk m the property. There are now only two daily journals published m Anokland, the "Auckland Star," an evening paper, and the " New Zealand Herald," a morning paper. The " Bell " was edited very vigoronaly for some time by the well-known Mr G. M. Reed. In making its final bow to the pnblio the " Bell " made the following announcement, as telegraphed by the correspondent of the " Lyttelton Times " :— " This journal is issued for the last time to-night, but it shall never be said that the " Evening Bell " died otherwise than it has lived — game to the backbone. Its demise is not due to any constitutional weakness, for, it 3 worst enemy will allow, that from the first day of its existence the " Bell " has given every evidence of sturdy, robust life. But the times have been so inauspicious, and ail yield to circumstances over which we have no control. The people of Auckland have been educated to expect m their newspaper a larger and more costly literary production than is given m other parts of New Zealand, and it is a matter of constant remark among visitors from Australia that m the abundance, variety, freshness, and general excellence of i their news columns, the vigour and ability with which they are conducted, the daily journals of Auckland set an example to Australasia."

HKeating's Cough Lozekges euro Coughs Asthma, Bronchitis. Medical testimony states that no other medicine is so effectual m the care of these dangerous maladies. One Lozenge alone gives ease, one or two at bedtime ensures rest. For relieving difficulty of breathing they are invaluable. They contain o opium or any violent drug. Sold by all bemi t?, m tins, Is l&cl and 23 yd each,