ENGLISH AND FOKEIGN ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 41, 16 January 1880, Page 3

ENGLISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

. No one can suppose (remarks the Pall Mall Budget) that the steady in crease of the Russian squadron of swift cruisers in the Pacific Ocean has been effected with a view to peace in those waters. Russia has no commerce thereabouts worth speaking of, and before the despatch of the vessels recently 6ent thither she was quite strong enough not only to protect her own in'erests but to inflict considerable injury upon any antagonist. Neither Afghanistan nor A ustro- German arrangements ought to divert public attention in this country from the far East. Whether the powerful Russian squadron has been reinforced with a view to the misunderstanding between China and Japan, or whether this has been done iv order to act promptly in the event of European complications, it equally behoves our Government not to be taken unawares. Ordinary prudence would counsel the immediate strengthening o J : our V altogether insufficient squadron in the Pacific. At a meeting of the Conservative Association of Kircardineshire, held at Stonehaven, Mr Baird, of Uric, ■was adopted as the Conservative candidate at the next election. Sir Thomas Gladstone, the elder brother of Mr W. E. Gladstone, who presided, said if the liberals pot into power again, which God forbid they should, we should have brought before us all sorts of wild speculative proposals which the -country hud got heartily sick of before it turned out the late Government. He believed that, notwithstanding the boasts of the noisier pait of the press, and the loudesttalking part of the community, that was the deliberate opinion of the country to this hour, and he felt confident, when the day of battle came, that the present Government would again receivo the support of the country. '1 he amount of drought some plants will bear with impunity is surprising. Dr G. Schweiniurth, in Petermaun's Mitthelinugen, gives an ace .Hint of his recent journoy across the Arabian desert, frdtn Heluah Quench, and mentions some interesting facts concorning the vegetation. In Wady Quench, he states, no rain had fallen for six years, but some acacias and tamarisks were still green and flou.rishing, and apparently unaffected, ]l whilst the last traces of herbaceous J plants had disappeared. In a more favored part he found the valleys covered with saluia paleestina, a very handsome species, three feet high, with a profusion of sky blue flowers. A commission lately appointed by the Prussian Government to investigate the best class of inks to em* ployed ior official purposes, have just presented their report. They state tli a * on '^ ne * n k s are not suited for jvia purpose, because they can be

easily washed away, especially by preparations of chloriuo. Inks h; the composition of which alizari (Adrianople red) is employed can bo obliterated less easily, lint the)- are of opinion that the be6t cf all is lhaf made from gall nuts, and recommend that it "hall be used for official purposes, and for all documents 'he [ re* servation of which is of importance. — London Times. The consumption of tobacco in the United Kinghorn per head of the population last year -was lower than it has been since 1874, and shows a sharp fall from the maximum consumption attained in 1877. A contemporary gives the figure as follows :— 1874, 1.441bs ; 1875, 1.461bs ; 1876, 1.471b5j 1877, 1.491b5; 1878, 1.401b5. The addition to the duty last year was estimated to produce £750,000, but the result only showed £501,587 increase. Last year no fewer than 852 persons and 6350 cattle were killed in Madras Presidency by wi.d beasts and snake*, while the Government paid 1 /,854 rupees for the destruction of 185 tigers, 5381efpards, 75 cheetahs, 143 bears, 27 wolves, 128 hyeenas, and 5930 other animals.