1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 3 June 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

1881.

. . ~ (From ttie London shti,) '| ;: , The departure of the prcseutadminiatration' from the 'policy of Lord.B'eacoh'sfieid was,as : marked .in India as in South'■ Africa, "fifo ovacuation of Caridaha'r had been demited in: .principle before Parliament met, audit'™: not considered that either the advance of tho' Russians in 'the Turkoman cou'fit'ry or..the' menacing attitude of Ayoob Khan.'at Herat, justified a change 1 of view. 1 Tlio iubjecVwas discussed in both Houses of Parliament,',ancl the Miriis'try,' though, of course,'defeated in the Upper House, was supported in 'the Lpwor.by.a majority of 110. In April 'tho City of Cahdahat was placed in the 1 hands of the Ameer Abdurrahman's representative's. But the, now. Government ,was unpopular among tho tribes of Southern' Afghanistan, and the allegiance of the Ghilzai'sfon which its stability mainly depended, was' more than doubtful. Ayoob'Khah, who was watching and intriguing at Herat.striick bbidly arid heavily at, his rival, tho Ameer'; l in'July,' / de'. feating the army of the'lattcratKafez-i-atta, iipon 'which the Ameer's adherents W or submitted, and Candahar at onCe received the cohrtuei'pr. But Ayo'ob's 'triumph ,was brief. Iho Ameer, showing more spirit' than lie had been credited with, led ah array south'ward in person, Obtaining the support of the Ghikais, and in; September shattered the hostile power of bis cousin.'who fled to' Herat and thence to Persia. Herat not long after fell into Abdurrahman's power, and'for.the time, at least, he appears to have succeeded to the predominance enjoyed at different times by Dost Mohammed and'ShereAli. The British'troops still occupy Pishin and Sibi, in deference to the Opinion Of the Indian Authorities, though the Hom'e Government has been anxious to withdraw wholly from Afghan territory. The financial difficulty still continues to harass and hamper the Indian _ Government both in foreign and domestic policy; but the year has been, on tho whole, prosperous as well as peaceful, and tho success of the latest loan proves 'that the credit of the Empire stands higher than at any. former time, Some excitement has been created;' among Anglo-Indians as. well as natives, by. the. report that the Government intend to re-impose an indome'-tax, with a view to the abolition of the remaining import duties oh cotton goods. The protests of all classes' against a policy which has been con.' demned by statesmen of every party connected withlndian administration will probably prevent the practical adoption of this idea,-. . •.■ - ■■■ y ■

, .The return of Anglo-Indian'polioy to the old lines of non-intervention was rendered possible by the removal of immediate causes oi'disturbance in Eastern Europe, and the abandonment of an active and disturbing policy on the part of Russia. When the year opened it seemed too probable that the Greek frontier question might still involve the Continent in a perilous war, the limits of which no human foresight could lay down or maintain, Turkey refused to' acknowledge the authority of the Berlin Conference, and the. French Government, which had originally championed the claims of Greece, had declared that Europe had no right to insist on tho award being enforced, Diplomacy labored hard to devise and impose ; a com- 1 promise, but in the beginning' with little prospect of success, The Greek Government, convinced that the Powers would submit to anything rather than allow a conflagration to break out in the Eost, spoke iii an imperative strain, and prepared openly for war, The excitement of the Athenian population was ingeniously displayed as a warning of what would happen inevitably if all/that tho Berlin Conference had given was not conceded by, or extorted irom, the Porte, The Ambassadors at Constantinople, however, after long and patient negotiations, joined in a note to the Greek Government, recommending the acceptance of the 'utmost that Turkey could be brought to yield The'new frontier line left the greater part of Epirus, with Janina and Metzovb, to Turkey, giving Greece possession of almost all Thessaly, and tho command of the Gulf of Arts, The Greeks were infuriated; Athens was, or seemed to be, for some days on the verge of revolution, and "M, Coumouhdouros, the Prime Minister, strove to evade the popular wrath by meeting'the Powers with swelling and ambiguous lauguage. Resistance, nevertheless, was seen to bo idle, and tho clouds quickly passed away. The only doubt remaining turned upon the goo'd faith ami promptitude of the Porto in carrying out the cession of territory as arranged, which was peaceably accomplished earlym autumn. It was obvious that, if the aim of Russian policy was, hs it had been some years, before, the disturbance of the existing, settlement in-: Eastern Europe, the Greek difficulty might have _ had. a more disastrous issue. But Russia, for a time at least, had assumed a re-, Horved and_ conservative position in her foreign relations. She had even made a pause; in her advance in Central Asia, The campaiga'taainW the Akhal-Tekke Turcomans' had ended with.thecapture of their strong-• hold of.Geok' Tepe,ind, General Skobeleff had advanced towards Merv,, The project of railway extension from the, Caspian to the south east through Askabad was warmly 1 taken up. But a reaction was' at hand.' General Skobeleff was recalled, and the Russian Government was at: much pains .to prove that no aggressive designs were entertained .in any ,part of the world. The dangerous dispute with China was closed by the cession of Kuldja, in pursuance of the same lino of policy, and the intrigues of the " war party "at Pekin were thus frustrated, More,' over, Russian diplomacy set to work not unsuccessfully to renew the ties which had formerly bound together the great monarchies of Central Europe." ■',■■■■■■' This_ remarkable change of policy had its origin in the terrible crime, which startled ttii civilised world on the 13th of March. The Emperor of Russia,.returning to the Winter; Palace,, frpin, a.roview,' was, attacked by Nihilist assassins armed with dynamite bonibs. The. first explosion failed in it 3 object,, but whilo the Czar washing, to 1 the safety of his injured guards a'second' bomb was thrown, which inflicted fatal arid horrible wounds, .After lingering a few hours! Alexander ll,passediiway.. ; , His feign will be remembered in history' for .many .striking. incidents, arid some unexpected developments, of ;Riiss!an character. . By the irony of fatethe .Emancipator of the. Serfs was the rulerunder whom Nihilism, the most determined, and ruthless embodiment of the revolutionaryspirit, made itself feared and powerful, The, new Czar; Alexander lll;,.Succeeded his' father without any outward'sigh of popular" restlessness, He had De eri supposed to entertain strong Panslavist'and. antl-Gefnian views, but his influence was immediately, thrown on the, Conservative side,'both.in. home and foreign politics. After some hesitation General Igriatieff was placed at the head of the internal, Govermerit; and the Nihilist danger has been combated by repression rather than concession, It was believed for .a moment that the great "Powers might be induced'to join in measures for the eradication .of Nihilism, and the, right of asylum Jh neutral countries was violently attacked by.the Russian press. Abroad, tho diplomacy of Russia was active in removing occasions andapprehensions.of war,,andplainly desirous of showing that tho Northern Em-

pirewouldwillingly take its place once more,; not formally,'tint cordially in the'concert of .Europe, These dispositions we'ro;not instantly recognised, 1 but in the* autumn the; •German ana Russian Emperors; met at' :Dantsic, and soon afterwards, the King of Italy. \vas< received with enthusiasm at Vienna, In the speech from the throne at .the.opening of the' German Reichstag it was; 'announced that .the agreement of thethreoi Empires, was " a trustworthy pledge for the: •preservation of European peace, Whether! Italy was or was not included in the spirit of .this declaration may bo questioned, but tho Tunisian enterprise of France has alienated the Italians from their nearest neighbors! \ The bearing of' theseevents on the futurp of the! Balkan Peninsula has been tho subject, of controversy and "alarmist rumors. Austria hairacquired influence in Servia; and 'has. exercised. pressure upon Roumania-a prjncipality which was 'elevated to the rank ;of.a-kihed6hv during'tbVy'ey," The ultimate object of Austrian policy, is'said'io.be the ac'ouißition of ,Salohica, ahd'tho creation on the iEgean of'/anoth'er'Triest'e. But this'ianot likely to be attempted while tlie 'understanding' between ' Russia, and' Germany lasts. For ! the aarne reason.Kusaia will'not use for disturbing,, purposes her. influence' over Bulgaria, strengthened by Prince Alexander's coup d'itat 'last summer, which' struck, down the n/ativfl revolutionary party.', ThtSPrince, protesting' that the democratic constitution of Tirhbv'a Was unworkable, demanded a plebiscite, to decide whether' His abdication and withdrawal were to be accepted, or whether he was.to be granted dictatorial powers for seven years. The elections resulted 'as a matter of course in the victory of the Prince, which; for the moment appears, among other'things,' to have checked the intrigues for,the.recpnatrucfcion of the" Great Bulgaria" of the San Stefano treaty. The parts of the Ottoman Empire still under the direct rule of the Sultan have not witnessed any important; political movements, though the Porte .has beon busy with the affairs of Tunis and Tripoli, of Egypt and Arabia; .The personal authority of-Abdul Hamid has been strengthened; by the downfall of some of the best-known of I'the iPashas," several of whom, including iMidhat, were convicted; after, an inquiry, of a .doubtful character, of complicity in the murder.of Abdul Aziz; ' The difficulties of the Turkish Government have probably fostered more, than one of'.the ' ',' questions" which' have arisen', during the \ jrear on the outskirts' of the Empire.' The ' imbigu'ous relations between the Porte,and ' the'countries oh the Mediterranean coast of ' Africa.are'complicated by'the authority of 1 the as' Caliph .oyer independent,, or Mahomedari'populations, ' : Egypt, during the early part of the year,' was' i unusually tranquil and prosperpiis. ■ The i Government 'of ,tho' Khedive Teiyfik, under the European Control, had it seemed, . fairly, established,.although the system was not free from the dangersof international ! jealousies and intrigues, In, September. ;Arabl Boy, a colonel in'thcEgyptian service, ; headed a 'mutiny of the troops, surrounding ,'Tewfik Pasha'in his palace, and dictating the dismissal of Riaz, Pasha's' Ministry. Tiie mutineers' professed to bo actuated by "national "aims, and they were,', it seems, equally jealous of European interference, and, of tho Mueiico of the Sultan. Sherif Pasha, who succeeded Riaz, had to soothe the restless spirit of the' military 'class, by partial concessions, ', The Porte attempted,' though Vainly, to guide the progress of events;by sending a mission to Cairo. Meanwhile the difficulties of tlie Dual Control were forcibly, illustrated by the divergence between Eng : ' lish and French opinion. Cordial and complete harmony between .French and English policy iri Egyptian affairs has not been rendered' easier by what has happened in Tunis, French ambition had long been attracted to Tunis, and was whetted rather than checked by Italian rivalry. Tho interference of M. lloustan, the French ConsulGeneral, with a claim in which a British subject was opposed by a French speculative company, had attracted attention early in tlie year, but a new question was raised in the spring, when French complaints of the misdoings of a border tribe, the Kroumirs, began totakeaseriousform. Prcparationsfonvar were made, but M. St, Hilaire, the French Foreign Minister, gave assurances, which, for the time, satisfied - both England and Italy, that the only chastisement of the robber tribesmen were intended, The Prime Minister, M, Jules Ferry, made the same statement to the Chambers. But the moment the French troops crossed .the Algerian frontier the pretence of chastising the Kroumirs was dropped,; General Brdart advanced with an imposing force upon the capital; which he entered without resistance or declaration of war, and, after- a military display before the place, the Bey yielded and signed atreaty by jwhioh France was practically .invested with a, Protectorate,' the right of. occupying any necessary points in Tunisian, territory; tho I control of foreign and finanoial policy, arid I the nomination of M. Roiistan as ."Resident." jThe protests of England and Italy, as well as j Turkey, were disregarded, but- the aggresjsion ,soon bore, painful fruit, which damped ithe,enthusiasm of the Chauvinists., Maho-' [medan, fanaticism: was stirred from Tripoli, ;where,the Turkish troops were reinforced, to | Morocco. , An-insurrection broke out in- | Southern Algeria, and an Arab rising in the l Regency of Tunis itself compelled the French I to, lay; siege to Sfaxj and to strike repeated ■ [blows at an almost übiquitous and invisible 1 enemy; At length, after extravagant efforts, an expedition to the sacre'd city of Kairwan, !which., the French troops occupied without ; difficulty, appeared for a short time to: have Icowed-tho tribes, ■ The Tunisian expedition !had .an important effect on. the ddme'stio j politics .and the. foreign relations of France. I The pretensions of M. Gambetta to the first [place in the political sphere had.been practi-: jcally admittedby all parties, yetM. Ferry's-' I Ministry still remained nominally in power. (The great internal question oh which opinion 'was divided, was raised in May by.the i&mttm de Listt Bill; which was carried in[the Chamber, of,-Deputies, though by a smaller majority than had been anticipated. jM. Gambetta's friends were confident of his ! victory; in a Beriea of speeches at Cahors he ; took a Conservative tone, and pronounced the ■revision of the constitution inopportune. But' ;the Sepate unexpectedly mustered up courage to throw out. the. Election Bill,-and jM. Gambetta's attempt thereupon to precipitate an appeal to the country was ill received !by the Lower Chamber. M. Ferry strove to ; rally an independent Republican party with the cry, Ni' rivision, ni division, but the only effect was to accentuate M; Gambetta's advanced views, and tn vaWa t.lio lnti™.

;from apart of the animosity of the Extreme | Left wnich'was arrayed' against him under ;M. Clemenceau. The elections resulted in ;the return of a large Gimbettist majority, !the Bonapartist and Bourbonist sections were almost annulled, numbering together barely one-sixth of the Chamber, while the Extreme Left was almost 'equally weak, The Chambers met in November, and M. Ferry ;had to face'a debate on Tunis, in which, though the trsaty with the 1 Bey was approved,, much damaging criticism,li'oth on themotiv'es and tho conduct of the expedition, made itself heard. M, Ferry resigned, and only, one successor was possible, M, Gatribetta failed to secure as colleagues such men as

,M. Lqon\Say:imd,:M. de Frcycinet, andieil !.back;upon a .Cabinet of which the onU/Weii-i known member iyaa : the Minister of Public! ■Worship' and; Public Institution, M, Paull Bert, avphemont AatiTplerical. ~..' , l/:[ ; ~,ln,the United States it prosperity had put an.endlto'politicai activity! when General Garfield succeeded President; Hayes in March last In. Mr. Garfield's 1 Cabinetitho most conspicuous member was 1 Mr. Blaine, The rivalry betwoen Mr.Blaino and Senator.iConkling, of.New,York, the ■phief of the Republican party in the Senate, led to a fierce contest oversomo of tho President's appoiutments i; in which,,afier delays and dead-locks, Mr. Conkling was beaten, He resigned and appealed to his party,to reelect, him.as a rebuke.to .the. President. The bitter .party feeling produced ,by, this strife had unexpeotod and terrible consequences. Charles Guiteau, a flighty and disreputable, adherent ; of the "Stalwart"faction, lay in .wait for President Garfield at the railway station in. Washington, and shot him, twice in the .back, The shock caused by .this crime, wliioh had, however, no political significance, was deop' and world-wide, ; The opponents of: Geherald Garfield for .the timojeffaced themselves, and Mr, Arthur, the Vice-President, was in showing., that ( he ,had no; sympathy with them. General,,Garfield's dying sceneß, full of pathos : and dignity,! fixed,the-attention of the civilised-world. His death, after elevenweeks of:oruolßuffer-; ing, drew the English and American peoples close together by a spontaneous i movement of feeling, a fact recognised-gracefully by, President Arthur in ordering the salute of the British flag at the anniversaryifestival of the Yorktown ; surrendor. - President Arthur, while professing a desire not to separate himself from the traditions of hiis predecessor's administration,'has got rid of several of his Ministers, among them Mr. Blainq. .-■ There would bo less reason to regret.this if we could hope.. that ■ Mr, Frelinghuyson,, Mr, Blaine's: successor,. would follow •a. more mo'derate course in international politics than the late Secretary of State,.. Mr. Blaine's: despatches on the' Panama Canal, question : and the.-relations.between Chili.and Peru have given rise to tlie belief that the American Republicans are tending towards a Chauvinist policy,' The pretensions of the United States to an exclusive right of intervention in Central'and' South 'Amerioa are quite new corollaries froni the original Monroe doctrine, The Chilians, who ; obtained the victory iiv-a just war, which was crowned by the capture Of Lima in January, will not be inclined to submit to dictation, at least unless the army and'navy of the United States should be largely reinforced.' . . i:,., _■ The death-roll of' the year includes many illustrious names. ; We have already noticed

in passing the crimes by which the, Czar of. All the Bussias and the President of the United States were cut off. At home a re-' markable and almost unique figure disappeared from the political scone, The joss of Lord Beaconsfield has profoundly modified the attitude and prospects of tlio Conservative party and deprived the nation of a rare type of genius. One still rarer, though more akin to English character, was removedin Carlyle, whoseinflucnco was rapidly fading, but whose intense spirit had left a deep mark,on the intellectual and moral movement of the last generation. In Dean Stanley literature and popular enlightenment, even more than the Church, lost a singular and most striking exaniplar of "sweet reasonableness." Lord Hatherley, Lord Justice James,and Lord Justice Lush were great lawyers and something more, and Sir, John Earslake, but for the blindness which darkened his later days, would have stood on the same level. It is sufficient to, name : Archbishop Mac Hale, formerly one of the most energetic and audacious of the Irish Roman Catholic prelates; Dr. Camming, once'the best known of popular preachers; Mr. James Spedding, the editor and biographer of Bacon j Mr, W.' R. Greg, a vigorous and incisive critic in letters and politics; Mr. Street, the most'successful of recent 'architects; Mr, Edward Miall.'a pillar of British Nonconformity; and Mr, Sotherh,, the creator of Lord Duudrearv, The census for. the United King'dbn was takenin.April, and showed that.thepopulation, was, in. round numbers, thirty-five millions in' England and Wales, under four millions in Scotland,- and over -five millions in Ireland. The increase during the past decade was ascertained to b03,60U,000 in Great Britain, against a decrease in,lreland of 225,000. In India, the census showed a •total population of nearly 253 millions, about 13 millions over the previous enumeration, The year.was not specially remarkable for social incidents, or for literary scientific, and artistic events. The publication of the revised edition of the New Testament,.excited very general interest. There were few sensational trials, civil or criminal, and, happily, not many great crimes. "An extraordinary outrage—the theft of Lord Crawford's body from the family tomb at Dunecht-re-mains still a mystery, but it is believed that the police are at last, on the track of the guilty. . Though public opinion. seems resolved to put down electoral corruption;by law, the sentences on. the Macclesfield; and Sandwich bribers produced something like a .popular agitation, and a protest to which the Government very properly turned a deaf ear, In another department of' judicial interpretation oflaw, tho Court of appeal has' interfered to prevent au unintended and en-

ormto'exteMbff of hbusehoid 'BM'rager<'ia 'bdrbughfl" through . th6 l 'c'bhßtrubtibh; l p'ut',by fir'fit in&tarice up6n''tlie : defi-1 importancel passed in'.lß7Bi' Tlie worlcl of'."sport'' l was] aihaiied-'ahd eicercised by the victories' of ! the j Aiiibrican ; horsea' Iroqaois and.Foxhall, the I latter almost'unmatched for successes-iii the' ' annals.'bf racing, ■''-Among miscellaneous'occurrences 'inay be'noted the.' accident to ; 'thV Sa'la'din Balloon,'whidh carried I 'off Mr,'tow-1 'ell; 1 M;P.,fbr , .'Malme'sbury, ;: %d ; of which - nothing lias' since' beeri'heavd ;'-th'e' vast lahdslip/whidh' buned'a-vhble villiigV at Elm, 1 in j Switzerland j"and the'.burning of ! the-Ring! Theatre, in :Vienna, 1 involving, it 'is com-! puted, ,! a loss of Ail lives,', Another disaster'' of a'similar .kind at. Warsaw has led to'a, shain'eflil','outbreak : bf a persecuting spirit! against 1 ttie : P6lisli ; tTews, who were wrong'-! fully held responsible for raiding a false alarm; Of fire". '' ' ''- : ---i..' .'. :■•'.■•; ■■„■ : .