NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ARLIAMENT has been officially summoned for January 17th,
• and the rumours of the week have been endless, but few of them are deserving of attention. There are men who will tell you that all is ready for the defence of Constantinople ; that the Govern- ment has purchased the suzerainty of Egypt ; that the Turkish Zeet is already British ; that the Sultan does not intend to fight any more, but leave Europe to defend him ; that some new Power —presumably Spain—is coming actively on the scene ; and that when Parliament meets, some statement hitherto unheard of will be made in the Queen's Speech. None of these rumours have any solid basis, beyond the fact that the Government has called Parliament together a little earlier than usual. If the Cabinet has a secret, that secret is kept, and the only reasonable sup- position is that the support of Parliament was desired to strengthen the hands of Government in deciding on a policy as yet not finally resolved on. That the summons was specially urged by the Queen—who thinks the policy of the country too obscure—is stated on every side, but is no more proved than any other piece of political gossip about the sovereign's " leanings."
