EUROPEAN ITEMS.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume III, Issue 291, 30 September 1881, Page 2

EUROPEAN ITEMS.

July 15th was one of the hottest days ever experienced in England. No trustworthy record exists in which the temperature of the air—that which a properly placed thermometer records in the shade reached so high a point. Tho Astronomer Iloyal reports that at Greenwich Observatory the highe»t shade reading was 97J, Mr Steward, at Wimbledon Gamp, registered 97. The maximum ou July sth, which attracted so much attention, was 92 7, so that the temperature was more than four degrees higher than on July 15th. The significance of this return will be seen from the fact that since the year 1856 there have been only two occasions—July 21st and 22nd of the year IS6S—in which the temperature of 93 deg. was reached. Lord Hatherley’s title becomes extinct by bis death' and is the third peerage of the United Kingdom which has been extinguished this year, the others being the Earldom of Beaconsfield and the Barony of Hanmcr. The additions to the peerage this year have hitherto been but two, Prince Leopold having been created Duke of Albany, and Lord Odo Russell Lord Ampthill. Tho grest objection evinced by the Princess of Wales to the indecent fashion of leaving the arms entirely naked to the shoulder, dispensing with sleeves altogether and relying upon the shoulder straps alone to maintain the honour of the dress ii| position, has been met with extreme cleverness by Worth, who has sent over all the dresses made by him for the Court entertainments at Buckingham Palaco with a transparent epaulette leading half way to the elbow. It is looped on the shoulder with a fibula either of jewels or flowers, and lias been named by a great autocrat a niandic a la hour!. The effect is very light and pretty, seeming to float like wings through tile dance, and suggesting ideas of the coolness of the zephyr.

The two days’ sale of the recently-pur-chased furniture for the town residence of the late Karl of Beaeonsfield attracted a large number of ladies and gentlemen, all anxious to see the interior of the house in which the great statesman lived, and room in which he breathed his last, lint as soon as the hour approached for the commencement of the real business of the day the rooms were given up to the auctioneers assistants and to the furniture dealers, who were there in numerical force. Some, few of the personal friends and admirers of Lord Beaeonsfield remained, dcsirious, no doubt, to secure some special relic upon which they set an exceptional value. The library was without books, the walls without pictures, and the table drawers without a scrap of paper. A melancholy interest was taken in the “Arabian bedstead, with brass railed head and foot, and a set of cretonne furniture lined and trimmed, in which Lord Beaeonsfield passed many of the earlier days in his fatal illness. Here he performed the final business act of life —that of correcting the proofs of his speech upon the Candahar question in the House of Lords the last of his speeches m that Assembly. Amongst the articles sold may be mentioned a tiny three-tier whatnot, in satimvood and purplcwood, a pretty toy, disposed of for 22 guineas ; a pedestal writing tabic, which fetched 20 guineas ; and a stand-up desk, from which Lord Beaeonsfield used to address deputations that waited upon him in his own house, which was purchased by his friend Lord Barrington, for 30 guineas. It would appear that the inhabitants of , our groat “ place of arms,” Cyprus, are as little satisfied with our rule as the Boers. A telegram from Larnaca states that a petition is being prepared to the Premier complaining of the administration, and praying for the annexation of the island to Greece :or in the event of that being at ** 1 present” impracticable, asking that a Hoyal Commission may be sent to Cyprus to inquire into the complaints of the people. People who look far a-head have often entertained extraordinary notions with respect to the end of the world. Before now men have been buried with their heads downwords, in the strange belief that the earth will some day be turned over, when they will enjoy an advantage by being landed on their feet. An equally mad story is told by a contemporary of a Lincolnshire gentleman, who has lived to the age of S 3, and is now so firmly convinced of the approaching end of the world that he has ordered an immense balloon to be made, by means of which he hopes to witness the destruction of the planet without sharing the fate of its inhabitants. He will take with him in his ascent tinned provisions, brandy, and creature comforts enoughtohneet his wants for three years. Carrying out this dream, the old gentleman thinks that among the debris of the world will he several large fragments on one of which lie will be able to descend and find a refuge for his few re maining years. It is reported that the visit to Europe of King Kalakun, Sovereign of the Sandwich Islands, is due to the singular idea of stay.jfcing the rapid decrease of the population of his dominions by the infusion of European blood. For this purpose the Latin and Saxon races will have the preference. Great advantages are offered to young men from England,' France, or Germany who will consent to settle in the islands and marry wives of the Papuan races. A liberal grant of land, authority in the district in which they'may choose to reside, and even a high position at court, will be offered to those adventurous youths willing to go. It is said that Lord Derby intends very shortly to publish all the correspondence which Lord Beaeonsfield had with himself and his father, and that the work may be looked for in the autumn. Some of the letters date hack to the earliest days of Disraeli’s political career, and must throw immense light, not only on the doings ef those days, but “many things” that, to use the carl’s famous phrase, “have happened since then.” There cannot he a doubt that Lord Derby will he discreet and also tender to the fame of his great father and dear friend. Should a doubt cross his mind he will know that his duty is to let the doubt prevail.