MAIL NEWS.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1347, 8 June 1878, Page 3

MAIL NEWS.

[From the “ Pall Mall Budget.”] ANOTHER HARD-UP GOVERNMENT. Brazil is, according to tho Rio Janeiro correspondent of the New York “Herald,” suffering not only from the general dulness of trade, but also from the emptiness of the Treasury, which is without money and has been so for some time, the greater part of the payments having to be made in six to four months’ Treasury acceptances, w T ith six months’ interest. A longer continuance in office of the late Cabinet would, it is stated, have probably led to a complete collapse, and the present Cabinet has a hard task to put matters to rights. The Ministers are, however, stopping as far as passible expenditure in every direction, and cutting down establishments with a ruthless hand. Their predecessors seem to have had very little idea of the value of money, for the stores of the navy were crammed to excess with large quantities of useful and useless material, while the Government agents in Europe were still purchasing on a great scale for both army and navy. All this extravagance has been stopped, and tho savings effected are expected to be very large, so that in 1870, if all goes well, the Brazilians hope to enjoy the unaccustomed luxury of financial equilibrium. Tho reductions are causing much distress in official circles, but the Ministers have set a noble example of self-sacrifice by dispensing with private secretaries and office allowances. VERTICAL FIRE WITH RIFLES. A new use for the rifle in warfare has been suggested by the experience gathered in the late campaign in Turkey—namely, its application to vertical firing. It was found (according to a letter to the “Times” from Bucharest) that numbers of Russian soldiers were struck by the Turkish balls, when under the old conditions of fighting they might have been considered safe, being not only far beyond the usual range, but actually concealed by elevations of tho ground, and even hills lying between them and their opponents. A remarkable instance of this occurred at the Schipka Pass, when General Dragomiroff was wounded in the knee by a bullet, notwithstanding that the mountain intervened —-the Turkish bullet rose high in the air, passed over the summit, and came down on the other side as it fell. Some of the Russian rank and file wore hit in like manner at the same place. The writer suggests the question whether it might not be possible to devise a regular system of vertical or dropping fire to reach the enemy when quite out of sight, hidden behind a wood or ridge. The distance being determined by the ordinary range-finder, all that is necessary is a simple instrument to indicate the correct elevation which should be given to the barrel of tho rifle, and about this there does not seem any difficulty. It is easy to conceive how demoralising to a body of troops waiting in reserve—without tho excitement of action—would be a shower of bullets from unseen enemies dropping over the very ridge they relied on for protection. The Gatling gun appears capable of utilisation in this way. There is no reason, it seems, to fear that bullets will lose their penetrative power at such ranges. At 2000 yards the bullets from the Peabody rifle used by the Turks came with such force as to bury themselves sixteen inches in a hard clay soil. THE REFUGEES IN CONSTANTINOPLE. Tho following extract is from a letter written by an Englishman in Constantinople whose position has brought him much in contact with tho refugees driven into the capital by the Russian advance : —“ The marvellous patience of these poor suffering creatures is I think tho most remarkable feature of this peculiar state of affairs. It is almost impossible to describe it. All I can say is that we have been constantly mixing with an enormous mass of refugees since the 12th of January, and though foreigners, and our constant presence among their women, who now never attempt to veil themselves, must be most irritating and disagreeable, being a violation of one of their cherished customs — we have never received a word of abuse; on the contrary, wo have had most touching proofs of gratitude. Then another trait. Imagine between 100,000 and 150,000 people coming suddenly, driven from their homes, into a capital: you would imagine that several of them, half desperate with loss of home and all their possessions, would have turned in despair on society. Well, there has not been the slightest increase of crime in the place consequent on their arrival; neither has it been necessary to increase the local police or to take any unusual precautions. They are also wonderfully honest, and rarely attempt to, deceive you when you are issuing bread tickets by pretending to have more in the family than are actually there. Indeed, I doubt if you could find among the same class of any European nation such a quiet, patient, gentle lot as these poor Mussulmans.” ROUMANIAN BESSARABIA. The strip of Bessarabia which Russia insists upon Roumania surrendering to her, has a total superficial area of 2,165,000 acres, and a population of about 150,000 persons. This is allowing for a considerable increase since the last census was taken, in 1859, when the inhabitants were returned as numbering 126,632. The district is divided into three separate provinces or parts —Kagul, Bolgrgd, and Ismail, the first qf which contains a population chiefly Roumanian; w hile tho second is almost altogether Bulgarian ; and the other contains a mixed population, intermixed with the Russian clement. Tiiroughout tho whole district tho Bulgarians and Roumanians are about, equally divided ; the Russians arc, or were a few years ago, numbered at 6000, tho Jews 600, and the Germans and Hungarians 300. As for the towns, Ismail, or Tuschkow, as the Russians call it, is the largest, with 21,000 inhabitants; Bolgrad come second, with 9600 ; then Kilia, 8000; Reui, on the Danube, 7600; Kagul, 7000; and Wilkow, 2300. At Bolgrad is a Bulgarian college and church; and at Kilia and Ismail there were formerly some tolerable fortifications, which, though now in ruins, could speedily be repaired. THE SPARROW NUISANCE IN AMERICA. Tho hero of fco-dgy (a not'always the hero of to-morrow ; 'and the English sparrow, who has long become acclimatised in America, is likely to find this to his coat. When a few years ago a small tribe of sparrows were set at liberty in Central Park, New York, every attention was lavished on them. They were plentifully fed with bread crumbs, carpenters were specially to construct ingenioua devices for tetripting them to build their nests, anh for some time they were tho pets of the public. All this is changed now. The sparrow, instead of being an honored guest,, is pronounced a nuisance and an impostor. He has multiplied in various parts of the count ry, and, unfortunately, his condqct hag not given satisfaction. Tha other day the Nuttall Ornithological Club, Mass.,’bold a meeting to discuss the question of the merits of the sparrow. The club contains many eminent naturalists ; and, with the praiseworthy object oi dealing fairly witli tho bjrd, had invited correspondence from leading authorities on birds in different districts. The balance of the evidence was overwhelming against tho sparrow, who in the end unanimously condemned by the club. For this verdict the sparrow has only himself to blame. It was proved beyond

doubt that all respectable birds in America decline to associate with him, owing to his pugnacious and overbearing demeanor, and they have even deserted the localities which ho has invaded. Complaints were made that the song-sparrow, the snowbirds, and the bluebirds have been driven out of the Smithsonian grounds at Washington, and that tho “chattering foreigners” have taken their place. Fifty species of birds that used to visit the Common and Public Garden now decline to come any more. Among these are fifteen or twenty species that before the advent of the sparrow made Boston their summer residence. Wild birds no longer show a tendency to settle and domesticate themselves in city parks. Nor is this surprising if, as alleged, the sparrows fight in combination, and mob the orioles, robins, martins, and even tho woodpecker. A more serious charge is brought against the sparrow—namely, that he is carnivorous, and devours the eggs and young of other birds. A post-mortem examination of forty sparrows revealed also the painful fact that the birds had swallowed grain, oats, and seeds of various kinds, but not one of them had devoured an insect. Under these circumstances, it is recommended that all restrictions upon shooting, trapping, or otherwise getting rid of sparrows be withdrawn for a year or two. This, it is hoped, will either exterminate them or bring them to their senses. THE CAPE WAR. Faom Cape Town wo have nows by telegram via Madeira to tho 12th inst. It is reported that there is every prospect of an early close of the war. Tho Kaffirs say they are tired of it, and martial law has been repealed, Sandilli is reported to be asking for mercy. A combined movement has been made for his capture, and a decisive fight is expected. Tho principal military operations have lately been directed against tho Chief Tini Macomo, who in the neighbourhood of Fort Beaufort has raised the standard of rebellion and retreated with 1000 men to the Waterkloof, the scene of terrible fighting in former wars. Colonel Palmer, at Fort Beaufort, has a force of 1200 strong to secure him and disarm his men. The Transvaal newspaper “De Volksstem ” publishes a rumor that Cetewayo, the Zulu King, has summoned several regiments together, but his object in doing so is unknown. Sir Arthur Cunynghamo and the Governor, Sir Bartle Frere, are both of opinion that the war on the frontier of the Cape Colony is virtually over. Mr Sprigg, the Premier, speaking at East London on the Bth inst., ex pressed his belief that the cost of the war would exceed the original estimate of £IOO,OOO per month. A COMMUNIST ASSASSIN. A court-martial has sentenced a certain Captain Garcin to death for the prominent part he took in the assassination of Generals Lecomte and Clement Thomas on the first day of the Commune. The evidence against him was overwhelming, but it is considered doubtful whether he will be shot, as seven years have passed since the crime was committed. Garcin is over seventy years of age, and appears to have taken part in every revolution which has occurred for the last halfcentury. The delay in his trial was owing to his having left Paris, where ho has lately returned. INJURIES TO RAILWAY SERVANTS. Mr Cross received a deputation from the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, who urged the Government to pass a measure giving compensation to railway servants for injuries, and giving effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Railway Accidents. Mr T. Brassey, M.P., introduced the deputation. Mr Cross said he had been for some time in communication with the Attorney-General and the Lord Chancellor upon tho subject, and he hoped before long to be able to embody their opinions in a Bill.