ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1445, 3 October 1878, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

[“Pall Mall Budget,” August 9bh.] ENGLAND’S POLICY IN ARMENIA, In his speecti at the Guildhall last Saturday, Lord Beaconsfield spoke pointedly of a conversation which he had recently held with a certain Armenian whom ho did not name. The subject of their discourse was the reformation and transformation of Asia Minor, and the means necessary thereto; and the Armenian said ;—“There is only one thing to do, and ono word which is sufficient in this great experiment which England is about to undertake. Lot your motto be justice, and if justice is exercised and attained, you will find such a change in the character and conduct of the people that at the end of a very few years you will scarcely believe they are the same race.” Now it is not difficult to guess who the Armenian was who said this. It was Nubar Pasha ; who receives not more but less than his due when he is spoken of oven by personages of Lord Beaconsfiold’s rank, as a “ man who may be considered as a statesman.” By no means every man called statesman in Europe has his comprehension of affairs, or his capacity for dealing with them. In consulting a man so well acquainted with the subject that occupied his thoughts Lord Beaconsfield did a wise thing. And he got a wise answer. We know what Nubar Pasha meant by “justice.” Ho meant, “ Contrive that every man shall live in the security of a just administration—in absolute security for goods and person as long as he keeps clear of whatever sound and wholesome laws are imposed on him, and these Asian populations will startle you, so rapid will be their improvement in all ways.” But of course Nubar Pasha did not mean that the change would be accomplished by the proffering of advice and the publication of edicts. And when wo road his testimony wo look forward with all the more regret to a prospect of reforms too infirm to last. THE TEMPLE OP BAALBEC, A correspondent writes to us :—According to Mr Conder, in his recently published “Tent Work in Palestine,” the world is in danger of losing one of its wonders. The six remaining columns of the great Temple of the Sun at Baalbec are nodding to their fall. The Turks have already sapped them in seeking for the metal cores run into the joints ; every frost adds something to the progress of destruction, and any winter may bring the destruction of three out of the six. These columns, seventy-five feet high, are among the ’noblest architectural works in the world, and the method of their erection is still unexplained. The gigantic hut simple monoliths of Egypt offer no such difficulties as the building up of these enormous blocks, surmounted by a cornice with a weight of nearly four tons to the square foot. If, however, it would have been beyond the power of modern science to construct these wonderful works, it should be fully within its power to preserve them. Information respecting the present state of the case and the best method of proceedurc could be readily furnished by the British consul at Damascus. It may be added that no excavations have ever been made at Baalbec, and that treasures of plastic art probably lie hidden beneath its mounds of rubbish. RUSSIAN DOMESTIC REFORM. A letter from St, Petersburg, dated the 31st ult., says :—“lt was expected all over the empire that the Government would, immediately after the close of the war, introduce reforms which had long been urgently demanded, and had been frequently hinted at by the Government during the whole period of the campaign. These expectations have proved delusive; it seems that the Government aroused hopes merely in order to make the people willing to make sacrifices. Not only is there no prospect of reform, but the Government is pursuing a reactionary policy in the departments of justice and finance : trial by jury is to be restricted to ordinary criminal offences — i.e., such as are not connected with political matters ; and an income tax is to bo introduced, which will probably only increase the corruption of the officials. Serious peasant riots are announced in various parts of the Caucasus, owing to the abuses committed by officials in connection with the levying of recruits. When a levy is to take place the officials are informed by the governor of the number of recruits required ; but the heads of communes often enlist twice or three times as many in order to extort money iron} those who are in excess of the number ordered, the proceeds being] divided between the communal authorities and the officials. A short time ago the Grusians sent a petition to the governor complaining of these extortions; but the delegates who were entrusted with the petition wore thrown into prison, and the governor ordered his subordinates to treat the ‘ rebels’ with the utmost severity. The Grusians then rose in arms against the authorities, and the insurrection is not suppressed yet.” THE RUSSIAN PRESS AND THE TREATY. The “ Golos” holds that the treaty of Berlin has not brought peace. The political situation of Russia since the Congress, it says, is such that a war with Austria must be looked upon as inevitable, and one with England as very possible. The latter is, of course, possible, in case England should not change her policy—that of attaining her national object, the extension of her commercial interests in south-western Asbb by unnatural and violent means, qf the immense expenses which England would have to incur in the event o £ a war with Russia do not bring the fantastic policy of her Government to a standstill, the prospect of a long and obstinate struggle without any definite cause would hardly bo welcomed by the English people. Russian diplomacy can now render a great service to the country by standing on the basis of the real interests of the Russian nation. “Many points of contact, *’ the “ Golos” proceeds, “ could be found between the interests of Russia and England which need not touch the susceptibilities of either country. By duly estimating the advantages to Russia of a practical development of these mutual interests, ono might easily come to the conclusion that an agreement between England and Russia in Asiatic affairs is not only possible but useful, and that a basis exists upon which questions * n dispute' between the two Statecr might be solved beyond the aphero of thb political affairs of the Balkan peninsula. The practical common sense of Englishmen must rightly appreciate the advantage of separating specially English interests from, the chaos ox the national and religious struggle into which Russia will have to enter, being unable to avoid it. To bring about an agreement with England iu &rd C r to simplify the approaching struggle with Austria-Hungary—ouch i 8 the next and greatest task ot our diplomacy, £lo Ic-jg as this is not done, Russia must collect her strength for a h«v struggle, with Austria nbichy at Europe, and with Turkey and England in Asia. The Berlin Congress has brought to Russia, instead of peace, the immediate prospect of a now war which will be more

serious than that which has just concluded. We must at once prepare for this war, as there are numberless incidents which might precipitate it.” NAMING A MEMBER AND AFTER. The uncertainty which weighed upon the mind of a former Speaker of the House of Commons has been removed by the action of the present occupant of the chair. Major O’Gorman was “named” by Mr Brand on Tuesday night for refusing obedience to a call to order ; and the consequence of that serious step was that the Chancellor of the Exchequer moved and Mr Lowe seconded a motion to the effect that “ The hon. and gallant member, for his disorderly interruption and disrespectful conduct to the Speaker, be directed to withdraw.” An amendment was moved by Major Nolan that the member for Waterford should bo simply directed to withdraw, the mover being of opinion that the original motion was couched in severer terms than was necessary. Sir Stafford Northcote, however, refused to assent to the amendment; and on its being very properly pointed out by Mr Lowe that if the amendment were carried “it would amount to a ruling of the House that a refusal to obey an order of the chair was not disrespectful,” the original motion was agreed to. The Chancellor of the Exchequer then moved that Major O’Gorman’s conduct towards the chair should be taken into consideration the next day, and that he be summoned to attend in his place for that purpose. Major O’Gorman has since made an ample apology for his misbehaviour, which has been accepted by the House as terminating the incident. It was certainly only right to insist upon this course being taken; for, whatever the delinquent might have had to say in defence of the conduct which drew down upon him the Speaker’s admonition in the first instance, his subsequent behaviour was whollv indefensible. If Major O’Gorman felt aggrieved by the Speaker’s intervention, as an undue restraint upon his right as a member, it was open to him to bring the subject before the House at another time and in a proper way. But for a member to refuse obedience to any order from the chair which he may happen to think arbitrary or unjust is subversive of parliamentary order altogether.