NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 82, 11 April 1904, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

WHAT IS HAPPENING ABROAD. A" COSMOPOLITAN BUDGET, A I'ALACE FOR THE SAHARA. LONDON, Feb.-20. Mis Majesty .lucipies I. Iras been biding his Jtti]n-rWil light under a bushel for .some lime past, hut lms not. been inactive. He is reported to have purchased a palace— a portable. orn—4,o be set up at Troja, the capital of his Saharan dominions, ami, in the words of a London morning newspaper, ".Juejques I. is now ready to wear his Imperial crown amli sway his Imperial sceptre ere, long - , for this portable palacu will '-\>u fully equipped ami ready for j transport in a few weeks time, and the Imperial patron of the Savoy Hotel will shake the dust of England from his feet and hie him to the sands of Sahara."

Some Lime ago a report was current here to the effect that M. LeiJainly's, object in founding,the Saharan empire was to provide a settlement of the negro question in America. That idea, if ever really entertained, has been abandoned, but out of it has grown a plan to raise one or two battalions of Saharuu constabulary from among the coloured men of the United States. Colonel lloui-aud, whose activities have been enlisted, in il. Labaudy's behalf, and who enjoys the title of J lis Excellency, Governor-General of the Empire of Sahara, is eloquent on tins theme, and declares that I'rcsmlent Itoosevclt will |,ear him out in Kitting that no Jyettei- material could ire found the world o\er, although, the Colonel adds ■'live flower of the British Army is eagvr to enter, Jacques I,'s service." A MIDGET iUAUCAB.EE.

LA PORTE, INDIANA, Feb, 20., tharles Urcen, handsome and twn-<->-Mvo, lives just across the lino in jwc ugan, weighs but sixty pounds ami is only thirty-one Inches high « js a Knight of the Moccatas- :'" lll « s'»«'"<-st member of that Or->k-i- in the world.

leenuas born on a farm near. J.lice Oaks, where he now lives «"«! has spent all his j, fu iu „£' ..vnimun,,,,. Ho was small at , '',,', ■' ,ot 1 " oro su Lhon many 'iel Ym ' Asilu older he • ui to „, C1 jn statu tfco J'>'ii.\, ho has apparently ceased Browing, and has abandoned all hope o attaining the dimen ons o an ordinary man.

'■THUVCE-SV PASSION FOR PORTRAITS, T-h ••■> ■ , PAIiI S, Feb. 30, >e Prince de Vitanval," who be- £"? notorious thae years ago «i g to the creation of the Order >I th.valry of St. l*on, to which he appointed a number of people who never received their Insignia >«s ag a ,„ come into contact with vZ :"l l , horlt - iM - , »« arrested Vistuday on a charge of defrauding ..oblewonmn of seventy, whose con- ' -deuce he had succeeded in gaining, ami who had transferred to Ms poiHession a number of valuable portraits of her ancestors, iter family taring of the airalr, brought it to the nohee of the police, and they decided to arrest him.

On proceeding to his apartment in <.li<- Hue Pisallc, the detectives were received by the j.seudo prince's •■'secretary in waiting," who refused to awaken Ins princely master. The oihcrrs, however, insisted on enler[»S i'.is room, and found him siccpinpf i>» a lnagiiiiiccnL bed, at each side of which was a. wax figure in armour, with a drawn sword. All round Lhe room were hung tho portions belonging to the old lady. The "prince" claims that the trench courts have no Jurisdiction, and demands to he tried by the ecclesiastical tribunals, as his title in a Roman one.

KINO ALFONSO'S SURPRISE. MADRID, Feb, o King Alfonso is begriming to show •the same loudness for surprise visits as the Kaiser.

This morning the Minister of Tublie Instruction received u telephone intssagc which caused him to hasten to the Palace. The King \ received »'»> saying. "J wish to go ' to tho university and hear, some of the lessons ; hut please warn nobody. It Khali he a nice surprise," lie visited two classes, sitting on tlie seal as an ordinary student, uml then, to the amazement of everyone, he boldly entered the class room ot Senor Azcarate, a noted Republican ex-Minister ami orator Senor Azearate behaved, of course, with fitting politeness.

His Majesty remained in tho classroom longer than in the others, and listened with great altvntlon to The. lesson, remarking as he sat down, "i wish to be considered only a student. I shall hear you with' groat pleasure, and I am sure that I shall learn much from your lesson/* On leaving the students followed the royal carriage cheering.. BRITAIN'S NAVAL FEVER,

LONDON, Feb. 20. Concurrently with the Russo-Ja-panese war an abnormal activity exists in all departments of the British navy. This activity began at Christmas, and since then tno cannon cartridge factory, the Royal gun lactory and the torpedo factory at Uoolwtcl, have been bVs.y and worked overtime.

Stores at home and abroad have iK-en carefully overhauled, and all surplus and obsolete war material ins been sent back 1o Woolwich to * broken up. It j 8 being unobLiusiveiy replaced by stores of the. latest pattern.

Simultaneously sixty BrKIsH baft lies lips are being equipped with now I --inch steel and wire naval guns, dcrcZ™^?/if > U "> Admiralty or--7'l? ° t i , ' ;su l»'werful weapons ala cost of £4,r,uo,(jo(j. Nearly all • e completed and every battleship "" eai ;" ,,s or will carry four of them. I ,oy are tho best guns ever osses.,od by th« navy and arc said ort, a i. S " P, "' ,Ul ' l 0 «">B"nsofnny Joreign Power. They will lire a random shot from England to France •il have an accurate aim of 1(5,000 "its, and u,l thus be able to elfocftef. ,'j ? W, . hj,m ™'- , '»J"H fleet nlno '" ten units distant.

PepsonaS Notes. J|lv Jiisiico Cooper was a passon- „<' *>}■ the fsii.il.lt fxpiv.ss yesterday. Sir Joseph Wur.l was a , m o Well,ng.|on by Saturday's erqn-ess Tak!,"™,'"'" 0 '''""' om ' lui "« a '»' tlu- "'• i'irani denies Ihe statement hat he mfemls contesting tho IV tone Mayoralty. All' I!. C ltefthins has consented to sand for 1!,, Mayoralty ofllawm. "I- the- request of a deputation of influential townsmen. On 'rimrsday evening at: Waitnra .■r.- Hector A. Ross, who was the organiser and; fli-sl. sccrrtnrv of tho North Ta.i-a.naki Caledonian Society was presented hy il u . iiu-n.hi-.-.s with a handsome gold watch, suital|!.y onConslah'lo Huftimore is now on leave, and it is sard that the popular policeman will, ere his reIt"'" to duly, take unto bimsolf n parlncr in his joys and sorrows. Mr [,'. 10. Major, M.H.U., has been reiinesti-d fy a nmiiljer of ]la)wora people to allow himself to be nominated lor lh« Mayoralty. fie replied that he won hi willingly accept, nominal ion, hut (hut his Parliamentary duties and business at, present occupy the whole of his time.