financial difficulties. Signor Vacchelli, Minister of the Treasury, con- fessed on Wednesday, when introducing his Budget, that the surplus of D400,000 expected last year had...

coup d'etat in Pekin which fills up one or two gaps in previous information. It appears that the unhappy Emperor, who is again represented as dying of mortal disease, was warned...

The Germans, despairing of their old ascendency, are The struggle of the races in Austria grows more acute. The Germans, despairing of their old ascendency, are advising their...

S OMEWHAT to the surprise of the diplomatic world, a com- mercial treaty between France and Italy, which has been negotiated in profound secrecy, was signed on November 21st....

and taking a somewhat unexpected form. The Lippe-Detmold affair irritates the smaller allied Princes, partly because their dignity is hurt, and partly because they are asked by...

case.

astonishing letters on the Church question. This one headed "The Law v. the Priests," exhibits Erastianism rIO mad. Sir William Harcourt's great complaint is, of course that...

Edinburgh to consider the proposals for a Gladstone memorial, passed a glowing panegyric on Mr. Gladstone al a statesman and orator. "We have," said Lord Rosebery "the memory of...

at a meeting of the Court of Governors al Mason College, urged his hearers to make every effort tc raise the £200,000 which it is calculated are wanted tc enable the new...

mass meeting of Unionists, told his audience that he looked upon the prospects of any serious difficulty with France as much farther removed at the present moment than they had...

true policy in Africa, as in the Far East, as "not the policy of privilege or protection, not the poli o of discrimination or exclusion, but the policy of open riven open...

After alluding to the vacancy in the leader- ship of the Liberal party, but without suggesting how it was to be filled, Sir Henry Fowler spoke in high praise of the conduct of...

man he was supposed in England to be. He is a very brave and energetic explorer, and probably a good officer too, but he can on occasion be very French indeed. In a letter to a...

a governess, the daughter of a local farmer, revealed the existence of hereditary superstition accentuated by the study of palmistry. A letter from the girl to a school friend,...

have recently explored Luzon, and were everywhere well received. They found the island, which is ,arger than England, splendidly fertile, and were surprised at the comparative...

Captain Mahan is contributing to the Times on the late "war on the sea and its lessons," of which the first instalment appeared on Thursday. Quite admirable is the description...

the progress made on the Uganda Railway. The rails have reached the two hundred and thirty-fifth mile-post, which means that you can now travel by train from the port to the...

of India a lesson. They clearly were not directed z ainst the English authorities, for they occurred in a native ,tate, said to be in remarkably good order under the manage-...

more audacious or ingenious purveyor of forged ancient documents has been brought to book than Herbert Davies, the young ex-schoolmaster who was sentenced on Wednesday to three...

Friday, 111.

HOME-RULE AND THE LIBERAL CREED. T HE Liberal party is again in trouble about its creed, and again the air is full of inquiries as to who is the party's leader and what are its...

in Austria, a powerful, and in its way fanatical, party, to "turn Protestant en masse" is a very curious incident. No threat of the kind has been heard in Europe for centuries,...

W E see no reason to regret even secretly the conclusion of a commercial Treaty between Italy and France. The prosperity of any country is a benefit to Great Britain because it...

Emperor to Europe is a fit moment for considering what is likely to be the future of Palestine. But the question,—What will be the future of Palestine? is one of those which is...

I T is pretty clear that, if peace can be maintained, it is intended to get up a " boom " in Chinese railways. The Chinese Government is bombarded with requests for...

I N the current number of the Young Man we have the first instalment of a discussion which, judging by he names of those who propose to take part in it, excites good deal of...

S UPPOSING Captain Dreyfus to be entirely innocent, and all the evidence published of late suggests that conclusion, what is the extent of the responsibility incurred by...

T HE controversy now raging in ecclesiastical circles as to the question of obedience to the Episcopate suggests some reflections as to the nature and value of obedience, its...

p ERSISTENTLY, as becomes men convinced of the ultimate success of their efforts, a sanguine band of savants and explorers have beset successive Governments with appeals to take...

[To TH1 EDITOR. OF THY "SPICTITOF.."1 SIR,—During my recent visit to Constantinople a great shock was given to the consciences of our Eastern brethren there, and no light blow...

THE AMERICAN ELECTIONS. [To TIER EDITOR OF 'HZ " SPRCTATOR."] SIB, —Having spent the past two months in the United States, and made such study of public opinion there as was...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In your notice of "A Child's Book of Saints" in the Spectator of November 5th, you query whether it be "a fact . ' that birds have...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sre.,—In your review on the above subject in the Spectator of November 19th, you describe my late sister as being "excitable to the verge of...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR, — Mr. Tollemache's "authentic and characteristic example" of Mr. Gladstone's " severity " towards Lord Beaconsfield (Spectator,...

[To THE EDITOR OF ras "SPECTATOR."] entirely agree with what you say in your interesting article on "Art in our Towns," in the Spectator of Novem- ber 19th, as to the culture...

THE DESTROYER. A DWARFISH thing of steel and fire ; My iron nerves obey The bidding of my crafty sire, Who drew me out of clay, And sent me forth, on paths unkrofl, To slay...

[TO THZ EDITOR OF THE • SFZCIATOIL.] • 80,—I read with interest Mr. J. M. Ritchie's letter on the above subject in the Spectator of October 8th, kindly lent me by a friend. The...

1,s; BOOKS. THE LIFE OF PARNELL.* [CONCLUDING NOTICE.] IT does not fall within the purpose of Mr. O'Brien to give a detailed account of the utter anarchy and oppression that...

appearance a child's book, and doubtless it will give immense pleasure to thousands of children. In reality, however, it is an extremely spirited and happy piece of satire on...

E feel inclined to apologise for noticing conjointly instead separately two books so admirable as these, and so portent in the literature of a great subject ; but we nsole...

A WELL-WRITTEN and well-illustrated book with a colour lees title often fails to attract readers, especially if, in the present case, it is published in America, and deal with...

Via Lucis, the review copy of which, owing to an oversight, never reached us until a few days ago, is a notable novel by a new writer, who speaks of herself as a Roman, but...

Some Verses. By Helen Hay. (Duckworth and Co.)—Miss Hay has an inherited right to produce poetry. Her claim of birth is, moreover, well borne out by her performance. As in the...

selec- tion of Diaries, Pocket-books, and Almanacks. The print, the paper, and the Russia leather are all as good as ever. We cannot say more, but to say that is to give high...

of Christmas Cards, New Year Cards, Calendars, Sze. They are sure to be appreciated by those who like that special form of art. There are plenty of cats and kittens, and pretty...