NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1606, 14 April 1879, Page 4

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

[“Home News,” February 27th.] CANADIAN PAEIIAMBNT, Lord Lome opened the first Parliament of his Governor Generalship in Canada on Friday, February 14th, and from all accounts the spectacle must have been one of extreme brilliancy. His lordship was accompanied by the Princess Louise, the utmost enthusiasm was displayed, and the artistic accessories of the pageant were of a really splendid description. The contents of the Viceregal message were less agreeable. Canada, like England and many other countries of the world, is now suffering from very hard times, and expenditure is considerably in excess of receipts. It is even more unwelcome to know that the manner in which Sir John Macdonald Prime Minister —and his colleagues propose to make good the deficiency is by a readjustment of the tariff with a view of increasing the revenue. This is a delicate euphemism for a return to Protection. If Canada adopts a protective tariff n hi • can be more certain than that the Unite Si lea will reciprocate the policy severely, and thu the markets of the Union will be closed against Canadian products. DB. NEWMAN. An announcement which has interested all educated Englishmen quite as much as any statement made, or report circulated in political matters, appeared in the “ Times” a week ago, to the effect that Dr. Newman had received and refused the offer of a Cardinal’s cap from Pope Leo XIII. That this news is authenticated there can be no donbt, and the only point uncertain, at the present moment, is whether the offer will be repeated upon terms which Dr, Newman may find it possible to accept. Not being a bishop, it would be necessary for Dr. Newman, if he became a cardinal, to reside in Rome. This his age might well indispose him to do, but_ if his Holiness were content to forego, in Dr, Newman’s case, the condition of residence in Rome, it might yet be that the superior of the Birmingham Oratorians would yet die a Prince of the Church. Doctrinal differences between Dr. Newman and the Vatican there have never been. He had long believed in the Dogma of Infallibility when the CEcumenioal Council affirmed it; his only doubts were as to the opportuneness of its promulgation. Nevertheless, it is quite certain that such an offer as that which Dr. Newman has now received would never have been made by Pius IX., and would never have been made by Leo XIII. unless a considerable change in the policy of the Vatican had occurred. THE CONVICT PEACE. The extraordinary and unwholesome interest excited by the most thoroughgoing scoundrel of our times, the convict Peace, culminated id his trial at Leeds on Tuesday, February 4th. The Court was densely crowded, and parties were made up from various noblemen’s and gentlemen’s seats in the neighbourhood to witness the event. The case only occupied one day. and terminated, as might have been expected, in a verdict of “ Murder ” against the criminal and a sentence of death. Nothing can have been more conclusive than the evidence which went to show that Peace had deliberately shot Dyson in cold blood while engaged in a burglarious attempt. Mrs Dyson, whose testimony has at last brought Peace to his doom, was severely cross-examined with a view to showing that on the night of the murder she had made an assignation with Peace, that the guilty pair were surprised by the husband, that a struggle ensued, and that in the course of this Dyson was shot. But whatever may have been the relations between Mrs Dyson and Peace, the specific allegation in this particular case did not admit of the shadow of proof. Peace was executed at Armley Gaol on Tuesday, February 25th. The scene must have been painful in the extreme, and the accounts given of it, and especially of the speeches and letters of Peace himself, are exceptionally repulsive. Death seems to have been instantaneous, and the convict comported himself with perfect calmness. But before the fatal bolt was drawn he addressed a speech to the reporters which, if it seems to savour of devoutness to some, will be disgusting to many more. .It was a protestation of his belief in the Divine forgiveness, and the expression of a trust that he (Peace) would meet all his friends and enemies—as for himself he had no enemies—in heaven. The speech ought not to have been published, for its only effect must be to bring religion into contempt. There is also printed an equally sickening account given by the murderer of the manner in which he killed —accidentally, as he calls it—Mr Dyson. Murder, he tells us, was against his principles. He always made it a rule never to take life if it could be avoided, and hence the conclusion, which he would leave upon us, is that Dyson owed his death to his own ill-advised rashness. Peace has also left on record a confession of a murder for which a man Habron is now serving a sentence of penal servitude for life. But there is thus far no evidence to show that the confession has about it a grain of truth. The chances are that the whole story was trumped up by Peace at the last moment with a hope that it might excite an inquiry which would result in the prolongation of his own miserable life. It is long since the public mind[has had so hideously unhealthy a debauch of excitement as that to which it has been subjected while Peace and his doings have been centres of interest.

[“ Spectator,” February 22.] GOLD COINAGE FOB INDIA. Mr Goschen on Monday brought up the subject of a gold coinage for India, in the form of a request that the Government would promise not to alter the regulations affecting currency in India before Parliament had discussed any proposed changes. Sir Stafford Northcote, in reply, refused to give the required pledge, inasmuch as the Indian Coinage Act vested full power over the matter in the Govern or-General in Council; but promised that if any large change were adopted “ while Parliament was sitting,” the House of Commons should have an opportunity of discussing it before it was finally settled. The words we have quoted are rather ominous. They look as if the immense and wild project of introducing a gold coinage into India were seriously entertained at the Indian Office, as also, we may remark, does Lord Oranbrook's reply to the Manchester deputation about the Indian duties on piece goods. He dwelt upon the losses caused to the Government by the exchange, as if alarm were increasing in the Indian Office. It is hardly conceivable that the Council should approve such a plan, but they may not be able, without Lord Oranbrook’s consent, to arrest Lord Lytton in the exercise of a statutory power. nbw bankbttptct bill. Lord Cairns introduced his Bankruptcy Bill on Monday, in an excellent descriptive speech, in which he told the Lords that the plan of leaving creditors to look after their debts had failed; that liquidations by arrangement or composition had risen from 3651 in 1370 to 8566 in 1877, while in 75 per cent, of the cases the dividend declared was under 5s in the pound. In only nine cases were the creditors paid in full. Liquidation, moreover, had become a trade; trustees canvassed for the appointment, and absorbed, as a rule, above 30 per cent, of the assets, while delaying settlements in order to obtain interest on the balances in their hands. The total loss to the community was not under eighteen millions a year, most of which ultimately fell upon consumers, who were charged prices to compensate traders for bad debts. He proposed, therefore, to appoint a new Judge of the Bankruptcy Court, who would specially watch over bankruptcy, to order all balances to be paid into Court, to refuse certificates where the dividend is under 5s in the pound, to limit the profits of liquidators by a maximum, and to make certain improvements of detail, the effect of which will be to enable the Judge in Bankruptcy to prevent collusion between part of the creditors, the debtor, and the liquidators. The Bill is a great improvement, though we doubt, from a long study of these efforts, whether any Bill will work. Why not refuse a certificate to any debtor paying less than 12s in the pound, unless the Judge, on a general review of the facts, declares the debtor’s case a special one ? EGYPTIAN AFFAIBS. A kind of revolution has occurred at Cairo. The Ministry had resolved to reduce the army, now nearly 40,000 strong, to IO.OfO

men, by summary disbandment, and to dismiss 2000 officers, with or without their arrears of pay. The officers believed the latter, and on February 18th, 400 of their number attacked the Ministry, insulted and threatened the Armenian Premier, Nubar Pasha, and the English Finance Minister, Mr Rivers Wilson, and shut them up in their office at Cairo. The Khedive, who is declared, in a cipher telegram published in the “ Times,” to have been at the bottom of the whole affair, soon arrived and addressed the mob, but it was at last necessary to order the guards to disperse the officers. The Khedive then declared that ho would not answer for order unless Nubar Pasha resigned, which accordingly he did, the Khedive himself assuming the presidency of the Council. Up to Friday afternoon, Mr Rivers Wilson had not resigned ; but there is little doubt that Ismael is tired of the experiment, does not intend to part with his army—preferring, doubtless, to part with his creditors - and intends take power into his own hands again. He is not bound, it must bo remembered, to retain the foreigners, but only bound, if he dismisses either Mr Wilson or M. de Blignieres, to dismiss the other also. He must have made up his mind before he acted to run a great risk, and may possibly dismiss both, suspend the service of the Debt, and be very comfortable, the Great Powers being too Jealous of each other to interfere with sufficient vigour. Oetewayo is felt in cities ho never heard of.

[“ Pall Mall Gazette,” February 21st.] THE AFGHAN WAS.

There is no nows of importance from Afghanistan. General Stewart remains at Oandahar with 6000 men, and his surplus troops are about to return to India by way of Thull Chotiali under General Biddulph. By the latest report General Biddulph was reconnoitering to the junction of the Helmud and Argandab rivers. A telegram from the Viceroy states that General Stewart had >st a considerable number of camels from ffie extreme cold ; but that the health of the troops was excellent. A sowar had been murdered between Khelat and Candahar, but the maliks implicated had been arrested, and postal communication re-opened. General Roberts has returned to the Kurem fort. Yakoob Khan’s agents are reported as being engaged in buying back camels, the whole of the camels and other property of the Afghan forces engaged at Piewar having been stolen from them in their flight by the villagers beyond that point and by the Mangals, The contingent furnished by the native States of Naba and Faridkot, consisting of 1700 infantry, 550 cavalry, and seven guns, arrived at Thull on Wednesday, and are said to be a fine body of men, in good order. General Watson commands them. Wali Mahomed has arrived at Jellalabad. A despatch published in the “ Times ” dated Ibrahimzai, February 14th, says:—“Rennick reports that there is no truth in the rumor of civil war having broken out at Cabul. Yakoob Khan is collecting regiments who are gaining heart, but will make no decided move for several weeks yet.” According to a telegram received by the “ New York Herald ” from its correspondent at Tashkend, the Afghan Embassy will arrive at that place on the 20th inst., furnished with full powers by the Ameer, who has declared to General Rasgonoff that he will follow implicitly the advice of the Ozar, and will refuse absolutely to negotiate with the English. Another telegram to the same paper from Tashkena, dated the 16th February, says that General Kaufmann is making arrangements for a rapid journey to St. Petersburg. He is expected to start shortly unless the embassy of Shore Ali interposes some unexpected and important obstacle.