NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 307, 7 June 1875, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

LONDON L HITTER.

(From a correspondent of the Press.)

London, April 16th, 1875. Since the Easter recess the House of Commons has not been so lively as it was yesterday evening, and. again our irrepressible friend, Dr Kenealy, and his dreadful Tichborne case, was the cause. The discussion arose out of a petition to Parliament, couched (in the strongest language, from Prittlewell in Essex, praying for the release of “ that unhappy nobleman now languishing in prison”—meaning; of course, the convict Orton —the removal from the bench of the three judges, and finally winding up with a mild request to the House to impeach its own Speaker. The speech of the evening was Mr Bright’s, which was listened to with rapt attention, and at certain points vociferously applauded. In the most temperate but impressive language he called upon Dr Kenealy to settle the question at once and for ever by immediately bringing forward for the adjudication of the House the serious charges he was constantly bringing against the judges in the Tichborne trial. ,To this Dr Kenealy replied that he should bide his time, and wait until he was supported by more petitions to Parliament. Forbearance, even when arising out of contempt, may be carried too far, and this seemed to be the humour of the House last night. Some decisive steps must now be taken, and Dr Kenealy is nearly at the end of his tether. Here is an elegant extract from his paper, the Englishman ;—“ Some dirty dog of a member, who would be a fitter tenant of a pig-stye than of the House of Commons, gets up, and in some drunken after-dinner speech, assails Dr Kenealy with the most scurrilous abuse. In this way they manifest their low mongrel nature. We need hardly say that not one of these curs of low degree would dare to face Dr Kenealy from the Benches of the House of Commons.”

After the Kenealy episode the Chancellor of the Exchequer brought forward his budget. The estimate of revenue last year was £74,455,000, but the actual yield was £74,921,000, and while the expenditure was estimated at £73,950,000, the actual expenditure was £74,328,000, so that the surplus is £592,000. It is not unlikely that the Liberal party may again soon find itself in the position of an army without a commander. Though the Marquis of Hartington has barely had two months’ trial of leadership, he has managed to create an uneasy feeling amongst his party that he is not quite up to the mark; and his resignation of the post is possible. If Mr Gladstone can be tempted to resume his old position ifi the place of the Marquis of Hartington, the sooner the latter resigns the better it will be for the Liberal party.

The prosecution of the Gaikawar of Baroda is now looked upon here as a grave political blunder. The result of the Baroda Commission places the Indian Government in an awkward position. The Court could not agree on a verdict of “ Guilty,” and the trial has proved an abortive attempt to inspire our Indian fellow-subjects with respect for British rule and British justice. The Prince of Wales is to visit India the next cold season, and a great many authorities—amongst them the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh, an Indian prince long resident in this country, and whose estates adjoin our Prince’s in Norfolk—have come forward with their advice on the subject. The Maharajah is of opinion that the royal tour should be undertaken on a scale of magnificence calculated to impress the minds of the natives with a sense of our greatness, and that if it be not so conducted it were better left undone. The guard of honor to accompany the Prince is put down at 6000 or IQ.OOO men ,‘ at the very lowest,” and his suite should be composed of selections from the “ oldest and most historic families of the nobility,” and from the army, the navy, and the Church, the last representative being “ an ecclesiastic of high rank,” to refute the notion current throughout India that we are “ashamed of our religion." All this it is calculated will involve an expenditure of at least £700,000. Now, while thoroughly agreeing that the Prince’s tour through India should be conducted with liberality and dignity, it is absurd to talk about a guard of honor of 10,000 men following in his train. A 1 places where a display of such a force might be considered advisable, troops could be concentrated beforehand. The local military resources of India are quite equal to anything of the sort. And as to a retinue selected from the “ oldest and most historic families of the nobility,” a staff officer glittering in gold lace would to the native mind be a much more imposing figure than the Duke of Norfolk, the Hereditary Grand Marischal of England, in a frock coat and a chimney-pot hat, India can furnish cocked hats and rich uniforms on the shortest notice and to any extent, and if the Prince takes from this country all the impedimenta and paraphernalia of a “ brilliant suite,” it will be taking coals to Newcastle. In point of probable fact those who will accompany him from England will be merely a few personal frieods and advisers, and a modest retinue ; while to India will be left the duty of providing the pageantry at such points where it may be deemed advisable. Many loyal writers are much troubled by consideration for the Prince’s health ; but during the season at which his visit will be timed, the Indian is infinitely a healthier climate than the English.

The installation of the Prince of Wales as Grand Master of the English Freemasons will take place shortly in the Albert Hall. The ceremony is to be conducted with great state and pomp, and though the Albert Hall is about the largest building in the metropolis, so numerous will be the attendance that only one Master Mason from each Lodge can be admitted in addition to the Master, Past Master, and Wardens. It has also been found necessary to courteously decline the offer of attendance on the part of numerous deputations from foreign masons who were anxious to be present. In October last, a young American, Paul Boytou, whose title, “ Captain of the Atlantic Life Saving Service,” is of itself sufficient to establish his identity (the only wonder is that he is not a colonel), came to this country for the purpose of demonstrating the merits of a peculiarly constructed waterproof dress,f made of vulcanised india rubber, in which the wearer is supposed to feel as much at home on the water as he is on his native element; and to do Captain Boyton justice, he thoroughly proves its efficiency. Floating on the' deep in his india rubber suit, and provided with an inexhaustible locker, he makes himself

thoroughly at home. He eats his lunch, reads the news* smokes a cigar, constructs a raft, fires off rockets, blows his fog horn, sails over the waves by means of a small sail fixed in a socket of his boot, and paddles. By the skill and daring with which he has exhibited the use of his apparatus, Captain Boyton has attracted considerable notice since his arrival amongst us, but the interest in him culminated on Saturday last, when he attempted to cross the Channel from Dover to Boulogne. The Queen personally requested Captain Boyton to inform her by telegraph of the result of his attempt, and also directed the Admiralty Superintendent at Dover to telegraph to her the state of the weather and the prospects of success at the time of starting. On the other side, Bc« logne was cnfete to receive him, and special trains were being run from Paris. At three o’clock in the morning he slipped into the water off. Dover pier, and, accompanied by a steam tug, started on his novel voyage across the Channel. At about two o’clock a message was received from him by carrier pigeon atFolkstone, and immediately telegraphed all over the country:—“Very jolly. Having a cigar, Cape Grisnez in sight.” Unfortunately, however, the aspect of affairs changed as the afternoon wore on, and at six o’clock in the evening the gallant attempt had ended in failure, A thick fog obscured the French coast, a stiff gale was coming on with the night, and the pilot in charge of the tug said that the currents would now carry him back towards the English coast. On this it was decided by those on board that Captain Boyton’s further prosecution of the attempt should be resisted by force, if necessary, and he was accordingly taken on board, stoutly protesting that he was fit for another twentyfour hours. Though unsuccessful, the attempt has proved beyond doubt the valuable pioperties of the dress. He was fifteen hours in the water, battling against the tides and currents which in this part of the Channel run like a mill race, and accomplished over fifty miles, his course being something in the form of the letter S. He was enthusiastically received at Boulogne, though a little disappointment was naturally felt at his arriving there in a boat. He announces his intention of repeating the attempt within a month on his own sole responsibility, and is confident of success. The Bessemer steamer, the one with the swinging saloon, will commence running between Dover and Calais in a few days. During her voyages from Gravesend to Dover, Dover to Calais, and back again, the swinging saloon was tested, but the results are not allowed to transpire. She does not seem to answer her helm very well. At Calais she distinguished herself fciy damaging her paddle-boxes and nearly carrying away altogether the wooden landing-stage ; while on her entrance into Dover she fouled several small craft. The Castilia, which I have described to you as being on the double canoe principle, and which was out of. the builder’s hands last autumn, is still in dock. Something chronic with her boilers is her alleged complaint, but I should imagine there must be something radically wrong about her.

The rage for hearing and seeing the American Evangelists, Messrs Moody and Sankey, shows no symptoms of abatement. On the contrary,[it is, if possible, on the increase. They are now holding their services at her Majesty’s’Opera House, Haymarket, which is crowded *at every service. To hear Moody and Sankey has become the “ fashion,” and it has arrived at this pitch, that people who have stayed away are quite ashamed to say say so. The Princess of Wales attended yesterday afternoon. Their stay in the metropolis will, I believe, be a very prolonged one.

Nothing brings home to one’s mind more forcibly the private wealth of this country than the enormous sums which are daily lavished by individuals on “ hobbies ” and matters of taste, A well known collection of water-color drawings, lately belonging to Mr Quilter, has just been sold by auction. The total proceeds of the sale amounted to £70,985 1 The collection has only been in course of formation during the last fifteen years, and cost its late owner considerably less than, half the sum now realised by its sale. From this and similar cases it is argued that appreciation of the fine arts is decidedly on the increase in England. That, however, is not the true solution of these high prices. During the last ten years such has been the commercial prosperity of this country, that millionaires and semi-mil-lionaires are now at plentiful as blackberries in autumn, and one of the first things your parvenu goes in for is “ pictures.” The two ships selected and fitted out for the Arctic expedition, the Alert and the Discovery, were commissioned yesterday. The former carries sixty-two officers and men, the latter fifty-nine. The arrangements and preparations have been as complete as science, experience, and money can render them, The Arctic gear is now on view in Portsmouth dockyard, and is attracting a large number of visitors. It was at first intended that no chaplain was to accompany the expedition, owing to want of accommodation; but such has been the pressure brought to bear upon the first Lord of the Admiralty by the clergy, the press, and in Parliament, that he has now decided to make room for at least one chaplain. The ships will start next month or the commencement of the following, and it is said that the Prince of Wales will accompany them in his steam yacht for a considerable distance. The officers and crews are to be entertained at a banquet previous to their departure. We can do nothing in England without a dinner, or, as the entertained on this occasion would say, a “ blow out. ’ One statement made in the House of Commons by the First Lord a few days ago must have thrilled through the heart of many a gallant tar—more especially those accompanying the expedition—the rum on board the Alert and Discovery is to be of “ extra quality.” In my last letter, when discussing the present four million loan floated with Messrs Rothschild, I stated that a growing uneasiness concerning New Zealand’s financial position was apparent. With regard to that statement I beg to place the following facts before your readers. The first half-million of the loan in the beginning of 1874 realised about 97-10 or 15 ; the next million and a half sold for something over 95 net; and now this four million sold at 91 net.

In consequence of the loss of the Cospatrick, the Agent-General for New Zealand has, in a memorandum addressed to Sir Charles Adderley, President of the Board of Trade, drawn the attention of her Majesty’s Government to the necessity of certain amendments of the Passengers Act, with regard to the safety of emigrants. The general direction of the recommendations points to more stringent regulations regarding the shipment of inflammable oils and substances,

and the infliction of severe penalties on merchants, shipowners, and shippers for any infraction of the law. A daily personal inspection of the hold, and regular entry of the same in the log-book, is also strongly urged. These suggestions have been very favourably received by the Board of Trade, and there is no doubt that they will shortly be adopted by the Legislature. I have just been fortunate enough to see the first proof of a geological map of New Zealand, admirably constructed by Dr Hector, Director of Geological Surveys to the Government of New Zealand, and executed by Mr. Ravenstein, so well known in connection with the topographical department of the War Office. The latter gentleman obtained much praise for his map of Abyssinia, and I am told by a friend at the War Office that the present map of New Zealand is considered quite as good. Both in construction and execution it is admirable.

At the request of the New South Wales Government the time for the receipt of tenders for the conveyance of mails by San Francisco has been postponed until the Ist June. The various difficulties on this subject between the two Governments of New South Wales and New Zealand have been satisfactorily arranged.