THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 952, 15 August 1871, Page 2

THE ENGLISH MAIL.

iUMMART OF GENERAL NEWS. [CORRESPONDENT OF MELBOURNE DAILY TELEGRAPH ] It is hard work to concentrate one's deas on London and London news when leart and brain are sore with thinking ipon the other capital only ten hoars off, vhich is now disappearing amid the smoke md flame of one of the moat awfnl conlagrations that the world has ever seen. Verily Moscow is avenged. Verily the lins of the fathers are visited npon the children — the insatiable ambition of the First Napoleon is punished upon France )f the Third Napoleon. Once more the prophecy is being fulfilled, once more the vision of the Seer of Patmbs is being realised, and we find ourselves saying frith him, " Alas, alas, that' great city that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, md scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones and pearls. For in one tour so groat riches are come to nought !" Did ever two cities present so ghastly a contrast as Paris and London on the Derby Day? The same bright sun, the same intensely blue sky, shone over both ; but while London was taking its holiday, Paris was goiug through such miseries and horrors as even that Master Dolorosa of capitals had never experienced before. The news that greeted our returning revellers should have sobered the giddiest elated with his gains, and aroused from his dejection the most despondent, cast down by his iosses: ""The Louvre in flames ; the Tuileries destroyed 1" What fearful tidings ! Who could rejoice over the success of Favonius, or grieve over the defeat of Bothwell? And yet I fancy very few of the revellers cared for the tragedy. They were full of their own wretched gains and losses. One caught them telling each other how they had been hard hit, or how that one had " landed " a handsome amount, or how a third had just '< cleared his heels" and covered his day's expenses. Political matters are coming to a crisis. Mr Gladstone's announcement that he means to press on the Army and Ballot Bills regardless of time; has made the Opposition pause. Certain Conservative members had resolved to talk oat both bills, but the declaration of the Premier renders the process difficult, if not impossible. For some time previously there had been rumors of a split in the Cabinet with respect to the Army Bill. Report said that one party were for going on with that portion of the measure which abolishes purchase, and that the other were for abandoning it. I believe that there never was the smallest foundation for any such report. If there was, it is clear that Mr Cardwell has carried the day, and will persist with his scheme. If the cheers with which Mr Thomas Hughes' protest against adjourning over the Derby Day was greeted be any criterion, this is the last time Ministers will waste a sitting in this way. It is true that Wednesday is a private members' day, but then the loss of that day means the increase of business on Tuesdays and Fridays, and that renders it almost impossible for Government to get any of its business done on {hose evenings. The discussion of the Washington treaty is anticipated with much interest. Censorious papers like ; the PoX Mall Gazette have found much fault with it, and have declared that England has given up almost everything. The Standard and Globe, mindful of the fact that this treaty has been in no small measure' the work of a leading Conservative politician, Sir Stafford Northcote, have, oh the whole, approved the treaty. A good deal has been made of the fact that the Canadians have been compelled ■ to surrender their fishing monopoly. But it must be remembered that they are to be paid for this concession, and that the United States have made some concessions with regard to the fisheries in their waters. The point which seems most open to question is, silence with regard to the Fenian raid upon Canada. But. the Canadians themselves do not appear to have attached any importance to this. While referring to American matters, I may mention \hat the Washington Government is watching with great interest our .experiments in naval shipbuilding. So soon as it is satisfied that we have got a good type of ship, it will commence building a fleet after the same pattern. ... It is probable that some important changes will be made before long in one of the departments of the navy. Hitherto all matters relating to naval stores have been subject to a vast amount of unnecessary routine. All naval men- have heard the story of the gentleman who left his walking-stick at the Admiralty, and of the yards of red tape and reams of official letter paper which were expended in getting his property to restored ,to him. Hitherto matters have been nearly iw bad with regard to the supply of biscuit and other necessaries to our ships. The whole system is being overhauled just how, and it is expected that it wDI soon be greatly simplified. . - The Duke of Edinburgh has been very popular in his ship ; in fact, his popularity was so great that he was in danger of having his cabin swept bare by those who desired to have a memento of hini.; The Galatea circumnavigators describe Tahiti as the most beautiful place they have seen. While they were in that island the Duke was photographed sitting among a number of native women, who were certainly anything but beauties. His Royal Highness is very anxious to have an ironclad, in order that he may make himself thoroughly acquainted with this class of ships. Speculation is busy abont Prince Arthur. He is now of age, and, according' to precedent, he is entitled to a gjrantof LIS,QOQ a year. But, "although more than five weeks have passed since he attained hie majority, and although the names of his household have been gazetted, no application has yet been made to Parliament. It is believed that the Queen will confer upon him a dukedom. . It is a pity that his elder brother should hold the earldom of Dublin, a title which he never used ; stherwiae a Dukedom of. Dublin might be created for Prince Arthur, to the satisfaction of her Majesty's Irish subjects. The, Due. d'Aumale, who is now in a jood many men's thoughts, is reported to fiave an income of Lloo,ooo a ye%r, inherited from the Due de Bourbon, father )f the famous Due d'Enghien. Count Moltke is expected to visit England in order to be present at the jreat military gathering which is to take place on the Berkshire downs next Seplember. It is to be hoped that this

gathering will be something more than a -military picnic. When General Trochu declared a few days ago the French army had been ruined by English luxury, he did not speak without justification. It is unquestionable that our English officers are too luxurious. It is notorious that when a detachment marches out for a few days from Aldershot the officers are not content with camp fare, but engage a carrier to convey their furniture and food. This is scarcely a fit training for an actual campaign. It is. believed that the Tichborne trial will last till July. Serjeant Ballantyne declares that he has only just begun. It is likely enough, for the leading counsel on both Bides get fifty guineas a day, besides very heavy retaining fees. The .expenses are enormous. A distant relative of the Tichbornes is reported ;to have advanced LSOOO towards carrying on the claimant's case. Some surprise is expressed at the very mild cross-examination to which most witnesses have been subjected, and much interest is felt as to the nature of the defence which the SolicitorGeneral will set up. American visitors to the court where thi3 cause cilifofe is being tried are a good deal astonished at the degree of familiarity and jocoßity which exists in our law courts.. They say that no judge would venture to cut jokes, and no counsel would venture to chaff the judges in the United States after, the fashion that our judges and counsel do, albeit in the States they do not attempt to inspire respect by wig and gown. We are expecting the Imperial visitor, the Emperor of Brazil. The Emperor Pedro deserves a particularly warm reception, because he has just undertaken the serious task of abolishing slavery in his dominions. At the recent state concert in Buckingham Palace there was not a single lady of the Royal family present except the Princess Mary. The Queen was in the Highlands. The Princess of Wales is not yet sufficiently restored ttftake part in State ceremonials. The Princess Louise was in Italy, and the Princess Beatrice, is not come out. The gossips are just how busy in finding a wile for the Duke of Edinburgh. As he will some day be a reigning prince, he cannot follow the example of his fourth sister by marrying a subject. There is some talk of his wedding the Princess Thyra, the beautiful si3ter of the Princess of Wales. Other persons have found a bride for the Sailor Prince in the family of the ex-King of Hanover. Still dealing with Royalty, I may mention that great preparations are being made in the United States to receive the Grand Duke Alexis, the sailor son of the Emperor of Russia, and that the young Duke of Wcrmland, son of Prince Oscar, heir to the throne of Sweden and Norway, has had a bad fall, which was thought very seriously of for some time. The patient is now better. The Queen of Holland, one of the best known women of letters in Europe, has just done a very graceful thing. She has .-placed a chateau at the disposal of Mr Motley, the late American Minister in London, in order that he may complete his fine history of the Netherlands. Another well-known diplomatist, who formerly represented the United States in 'this country, Mr Adams, is engaged in writing the life of his grandfather, the President. Two other notable additions to the ranks of authorship are the Crown Princes of Prussia, who in July will bring out a book on Female Labor, and General de'FaUly, who has just written an account of the operations, of the sth French Army Corps in the recent war, up to 31st August. It will be interesting to know what the general has to say in his own defence. Dr. Dollinger is expected to visit this country shortly. Dr. Guthrie talks of going to the TJuited States. Patti is going to Hnmburg after the London season, and will receive 40.000 f(L 1600) for ten performances. Trebelli accompanies her. Nilsson has been enthusiastically feted at Nashville, United States. There was a review held in her honor. Poor Regondi, the concertinist, is dying.