EUROPEAN ITEMS.

Evening Star, Issue 3470, 7 April 1874, Page 3

EUROPEAN ITEMS.

We make the following interesting extracts from “Occasional Notes” by a London writer in the Melbourne ' Argus’: the duke op Edinburgh’s marriage. At one time there were all kinds of unpleasant rumors in respect of the match, some going so far as to say that the whole affair was broken off. Mr Mitchell’s sudden journey to England gave color to these suspicions, which 1 believe were not entirely groundless. It is said that the national party in Russia is very much opposed to the marriage, not thinking the second son of the English Queen good enough for the heiress of Russia. Baron Brunow is said to have been recalled because he made himself the organ of this party in England. On our side I learn that there has been great dissatisfaction, with more tangible oause for it. The settlements are by no means as liberal as the bridegroom had been led to expect, and they are tied up in a very unusual manner, with all sorts of limitary and defining clauses, one of which is that if the bride dies without any offspring all her

money is to go back to her family. The dowry is L 75.000 down, and the interest on L150.000-not a very extravagant allowance for a Princess, the only daughter of the Emperor of RussiaREPRESENTATION OP THE COLONIES. An attempt is about to be made among some leading colonists in England to formulate some kind of scheme by which the Colonies will be brought into closer relations with the Empire without any sacrifice of their local rights of self-government. One idea is to extend the honor of Privy Councillor to the leading colonists. This would be sufficient if the Privy Council was still an active body in the' state, as it used to be, but in these days it is a nonentity, surviving only in its committee, the Cabinet. The idea of representation in the Imperial Parliament is an impracticable one, and the privilege wbuld not be valued, even if it were conceded. There remains a simple and obvious third course, which is to appoint a Colonial Council, on the basis and after the model of the Indian Council, composed of those who are at present colonial delegates in this country and others, say to the number of twenty-four, chosen from all the Colonies proper according to the rate of population, The Council would be, in its composite capacity, purely deliberative, its function being to advise the Minister on all questions affecting Colonial or general Imperial interests, fuch a scheme, I believe, if properly brought, supported, and acceptable to the Colonies, would ba agreed to by the Government without any hesitation, and if it did nothing else, it would afford a guarantee against some of those wild ideas about disiute«ration, which, although it is the fashion to repudiate thc-m, are still

secretly in favor with a large number of the .-Radical politicians. ANOTHER ENGINEERING TRIUMEH. At last the much talked of, much written about Hoosac Tunnel—the “ great bore ” as people have long styled it—is complete. ’The last barrier separating the two end? waa blown away on the. afternoon of Thanksgiving Day, (November 27). Nitroglycerine, exploded by electricity, effectually demolished the thin partition of rock remaining between the two shafts, opening a -passage sft high and 4ft wide. Through this a party headed by Mr Walter Shanley, the contractor, and Mr Robert Johnson, chairman of the Massachusetts Legislative Committee on railroads passed, and the tunnel was declared open A great amount of work is yet to be aecoml plished, but io is thought the tunnel will be open for the railway trains by the 4th of July next. The Shanleys have till 4th Sept., ; however, in which to complete it. The work j habbeen one o{ great labor, expense,'and time,

The tunnel was commenced in 1855. There had been numerous failures in the contract. The state of Massachusetts took it in hand as a state work in 1862, and in the midst of great discouragements has carried it to completion. It is the second tunnel in extent in the world, that through Mont Cenis only being larger. The whole extent of the tunnel is 25,031 ft, or 4| miles. It is 26ft wide by a height; varying from 23ft to 26ft, whereever a brick arch is used. Passing through solid rock excavation the section is reduced to 24 wide by 20 high. As originally projected, the tuunel was only 16ft wide, and made of course for a single track. The tunnel grade is 26ft' to the mile for nearly the whole distance, rising from each xmd toward the central shaft, and leaving a short length ef level immediately under the shaft, Ihe height of the interior summit over the portal will be something over 60ft. This dip in the grade each way from the centre was made to secure good drainage. The tunnel has two shafts, one near the west end, only 318 ft deep, and the other, or otntral shaft, nearly in the middle of the tunnel. This is 1,028fb in depth. The total expense of the tunnel alone is estimated at 12,(i00,000dols.