MAIL ITEMS.

Evening Star, Issue 4231, 18 September 1876, Page 4

MAIL ITEMS.

Colonel (or more properly Mr) Baker's term of imprisonment expires on August 6. The ex-hussarwill at once proceed to join the TurHish army, and will undertake tho organisation of 4he Ottoman cavalry in the field.

A tall man is coming from China, who is said to be five inches higher than Chang, and is besides possessed of a natural pigtail of wonderful length. Ho has married a pretty Chinese lady, and his bride is to aocompany him to Europe.

A curious story eomes bearing the stamp of authenticity. On the day of the last State entertainment given by the Queen, Count Scheuvaloff received from the Three Emperors a message directing him to obtain the assent of England te the title scheme which they had arranged between them with infinite trouble, but which was never destined to be carried out. The Count, who, by the way, is one of the most wary diplomatists we have ever had at St James's, met Mr Disraeli at the Royal entertainment, informed him of the nature of the message which he had received, and added that he supposed he was at liberty to telegraph the Prime Minister's assent to the proposal of the Three Powers. Mr Disraeli's reply was both charming and touching : " Does your Excellency take us for Montenegrins ?" The Ambassador felt himself unexpectedly cornered and made no reply. My informant adds! " Scouvaloff was fearfully snubbed, and the story is, I believe, quite true." Great sensation has been created at the Giant's Causeway and the districts around by the discovery of what is supposed to be the remaius of the giant who was engaged at the formation of that wonderful curiosity. The figure discovered measures thirteen feet in length and six feet round the waist. There are six toes on the right foot, which is much larger than the left. The other parts of the remains resemble a fully formed human skeleton. So great has been the throng of sightseers that admission is charged to the public.

Probably in prospect of our being ere long engaged in a Eurapean war in which the militia regiments will participate, many retired officors are getting appointed to the militii. Thus Major the Hon. J. P. Harrison has been appointed to the Royal Montgomery Militia ; the t. arl of March, who a short time ago left the Grenadier Guards, is made Colonel of the Royal Sussex ; and Lord Howe is appointed Colonel of the Leicestershire Yeomanry. The following must be taken-for what it is worth. It is stated that Her Imperial and Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh has written a str< ng and very urgent letter to the Queen, complaining of the attitude of England towards Russia, and begging Her Majesty to request Mr Disraeli and the Earl Derby to be less bitter in their references to her father's empire. Considerable sensation was created in the Tribunes of the senate on June 28 by the unusual sight of a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in full sacerdotal habit, sitting among the Senators and voting with them. The right rev. Senator was Monsignore di Giauomo, Bishop of Piedmonte Alife, in the Neapolitao territory. Ho was created Senator shortly after the liberation of Naples, on the recommendation of Count Cavour, but has never taken part in the deliberations of the House since the capital was removed from Turin to Florence. He is the first of the episcopal senators who has taken his seat

in the House since Rome became the capital. On entering, he was informed by the officials that he must have made a mistake, but on quietly answering, te their great surprise, that he was a Senator, he was ushered forward with all possible deference.

It is said that there is a very warlike feeling in Russian society. The Russians are naturally furious at having been checkmated in the Eastern Question, and openly accuse us of having been in some way connected with the so-call«d suicide of the late Sultan. Those sentiments having been expressed to an English officer who was staying in one of the Palace?, he next morning, tothejgreat indignation of the whole party, appeared with a small pair of soiesors worn like a decoration.

' The letter of the Duke of Connaught proposing for his Hanoverian cousin was, it Is said, accompanied by one from tht Queen, in which Her Majesty said that the marriage, should he be accepted, would great pleasure, and that in the event of its taking place she hoped that King G«orgo and his family would live in Englsad. The ' Stratsburg Gazetto' states that the request o; the Prince IS T apolean to be allowed to enter the Swiss army has been refused by the Swiss Government, and that the Russian Government has also refused | him permission, to serve in the Russian, I army,