T HE clouds are said to be breaking. An opinion, whence de- rived it is still hard to say, has suddenly become general that Russia and England are on the eve of an agreement....

Thursday night they resorted to a most unusual step. They virtually stopped the Supplies, until discussion had been allowed. The Budget Bill came on for its third reading, but...

Sepoys had not been communicated to Parliament, and Sir Stafford Northcote at first made a very high-sniffing reply. The decision had been arrived at some time ago, but "it was...

at once asked for information as to the progress of negotiations, and whether Congress would or would not be assembled. Sir Stafford Northcote in reply told him that "active...

that the measure " was neither more nor less than a direction given by her Majesty for the moving of a portion of her forces from one part of her Empire to another "—an...

case..

day he would move a vote "condemning the policy of warlike demonstration which her Majesty's Government had pursued," and declaring for "a frank definition of the changes in the...

Russia to be carried out with American aid. A steamer, the ' Cimbria,' laden with Russian naval officers and men, has appeared in South-West Harbour, State of Maine, and its...

inst. that considerable apprehension is felt within the Union of a Communistic uprising, Bishop Stevens, the Anglican bishop. of Pennsylvania, has publicly expressed his...

Paris at a grand banquet by the exhibitors, and made two speeches— one in English, and one in French—which appear to have pro- duced a most favourable impression. There was...

who do not know Rome believed that Leo XIII. had summoned the celebrated Jesuit in order to signify his agreement with his opinions, but it is now clear that he called him only...

night, in which Government were nearly beaten. In 1875, Lord Hampton (Sir J. Pakington) was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission, the great examining...

mons in a local matter, but one involving a question of some importance to places where there exists a discretionary rate for the support of the clergy. The Rector of Bermondsey...

on Saturday at the Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, Mr. Joseph Arch presiding. Strong resolutions against war were carried unanimously, and the delegates present pledged...

would probably be preceded by the deposition of the Sultan, and on Monday the Daily News published a long telegram to the same effect from its correspondent at Constantinople....

at Newbury, in a speech in which he justified on political grounds the present tendency towards a revival of the passion for grand municipal buildings. The history of States, he...

Burton's expedition to Midian has been a great success. He brought back twenty-five tons of specimens, including all the valuable metals, turquoise, alabaster, and sulphur—of...

a deputation from the principal Nonconformist bodies, to present him with an address on the fiftieth anniversary of the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, the measure...

the British resident at Shame, on the Chinese frontier of Burmah. As he was murdered along with two Sepoys by the Sepoy guard, the affair might be very serious, but that it is...

of Delegates from the North of England, to whom he made a speech, repeating his well-known views upon the Eastern Question, denouncing the summons to the Sepoys as uncon-...

usual on Saturday, and Lord Beaconsfield was the principal speaker. After complimenting the English on their imagination, and predicting for their painters a great future, a...

read- ing on Wednesday, but was withdrawn, on the recommendation of the Attorney-General, pending the inquiries of a Select Com- mittee which is examining the subject of...

SIR S. NORTHCOTE ON THE SUMMONS TO THE SEPOYS. T ETE Government have not yet heard the last of this grave and deplorable measure, the introduction of the Sepoys into Europe...

T HE atmosphere is lighter. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked Mr. Chamberlain to postpone till Monday his question as to the day on which it will be most convenient to...

TF there is any constituency just now hunting about for a 1 Liberal candidate who will do the electors credit, we recommend them to inquire whether Mr. Cecil Ashley, youngest...

OW comes it that we do not hear the old cry about a block in the Law Courts l The newspapers found it hard work to supply their readers with food for reflection in the last...

M ESSRS. CASSELL, PETTER, and GALPIN are about to try an experiment which is none the less generous because it may in the long-run turn out to be prudent. They have set apart...

IV HEN the Matrimonial Causes Acts Amendment Bill (for making some changes in the procedure under those Acts) was recently sent up from the Commons, the House of Lords—on the...

W E have never been able to argue heartily against war on the ground of the pecuniary losses it involves. A nation's self- respect is worth more to it than money, and when the...

flattery, it is maintained, is to praise the victim for the qualities that he does not possess, or about his possession of which he is uneasily anxious. Tell a lout, it is said,...

T HE word " Altruism " no longer needs the explanation appended to it when it was adopted to express the moral ideal of a noble enthusiast whose life was recently reviewed in...

T RIVATE View week is the best time for seeing the fashions," said a lady, a little while ago, in the hearing of the present writer, who thought there was a good deal of truth...

E LEVEN years ago there appeared under this title an ingenious parallel between the then Emperor of the French and the present Prime Minister of England, which attracted a good...

MR. SEEBOHM ON THE EASTERN QUESTION. [TO TRE EDITOR OF VIE "SPECTATOR.") venture to suggest that the time is come when the nation has a right to expect from its political...

[TO THIS EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") Sin,—I have read with much interest the letter in the Spectator on oxen-ploughing in England, and think it may be worth -while telling what...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") Sin,—Your correspondent, "J. C. W." and other friends of Mr. Osborne Morgan's Bill seem very anxious to "point to Scotland, for proof of the...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.'] SIR,—The introduction to Miss Martineau's "History of the Thirty Years' Peace" was written by herself—not, as your reviewer states, by...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.'] SIR,—In the notice (May 4th) of my "Songs, Ballads, and Stories," your reviewer inadvertently mutilates and makes unin- telligible the only...

[TO TER EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,—The chances, never too great, of returning a Liberal to Parliament for the University of Oxford, are doubtless diminished at the present...

TilE ROYAL ACADEMY. [FIRST NOTICE.) IT is an ungracious task to find fault, and especially to find fault with a well-established society, whose aims, theoretically at least,...

PROFESSOR MASSON'S MILTON.* [FIRST NOTICE.] HERE are two more volumes of Professor Masson's fascinating work,—fascinating, valuable, and important, but we must add,...

[FIRST NOTICE.] IT is of the essence of a good book of travel that the author should take his readers along with him, making them share in his adven- tures and allowing them to...

THE present passion in Scotland for issuing reprints of the poets who have written in the Lowland dialect of the country is ominous of the future of that dialect. The sooner,...

THE best article in the Contemporary, and indeed, we may say in the Magazines for this month, is, to our minds, Mr. Goldwin Smith's, on "The Greatness of the Romans." It is a...

was said long ago by Aristotle "that animals merely emit sounds (0.'0, but have no articulate speech (S■fixizros), which is the peculiar characteristic of man." There is no such...

Friends of Sir W. Holmes have called our attention to an attack upon him in our notice, published a fortnight since, of Mr. Evans's Illyria which they consider unwarranted. It...

a companion volume to "Heroes of North-African Discovery," which we noticed some four months ago. "South Africa" means, we are told, all the country south of the Equator, and...

Cupples. (William Oliphant, Edinburgb.)—This is a story of a decidedly religions type, told with considerable power and pathos, of a young sailor who breaks off the habit of...

(Seeleys.)—This is the continuation of a work published last year, under the title of "Islam under the Arabs," and is to be succeeded by a history of "Islam in India." It is a...

Philological and Kindred Suljects. Edited by the Viscountess Strang. ford. (Triibner.)—Interesting and valuable as this volume is, we cannot but regret that it is not more...

York. (Sampson Low.)—The editors tell us that they have done their beat to put together a mass of information about education, its theory, its growth, and its most conspicuous...

Co.)—This is a novel of the future,—of a time when woman shall have made good the claim to have a full share in the management of the affairs of life. It is always difficult to...

vols. (Tinsley Brothers.)—This is a well-written novel, showing not a little literary ability, but of the melancholy character which it requires genius to make other than...

(Knight and Co.), gives, under heads alphabetically arranged, a conchte view of the law on various points which are likely to arise in a clergyman's experience. We may object,...

Register and Stock - Exchange Circular for 1878, edited by E. C. Maddi- SOn (Effingham and Wilson); a new edition of Murray's Handbook of Travel - Talk ; Tourist's Guide to...

of travel as the public wanted, and just now, when men's eyes are fixed on the East, we bare, perhaps, a trifle more. Every one who has gone as far as the further end of the...

the Gentleman's Magazine, to which Mr. George Augustus Sala contributes an article on the late George Cruikshank, Mr. Wedmore one on "Restoration Comedy and Mr. Irving," and Mr....

of "One Only." (Sampson Low and Co.)—It is a happy combination for a novelist when she can bring into contact, or it may be opposition, the French and the English systems of...