NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Tw0 telegrams about Burmah, one from Lahore, where Lord Lytton now is, and one from Calcutta, have been received this week. According to the former, no further threatening news 'has been received from Mandelay, and the King is about to send an Embassy to the Government of India ; but according to the latter he is throwing up fortifications, and has summoned all Burmese to quit Mandalay, under pain of the execution of their relatives. Such an order would, of course, mean war in the immediate future ; but it must not be forgotten that Rangoon has always been in favour of the annexation of Northern Burmah. It is fortunate that the Chief Commissioner, Mr. .Aitchison, is not only a cool man, disinclined to an adventurous policy, but that he was for many years Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and aware of the general position of the Burmese Empire. The direction of the crisis will probably depend upon some caprice of the Burmese King, who may be suddenly frightened by British preparations—we have, as appears from a private tele- gram published in the Scot ern,an, ordered a large force, including ,seven steamers, to the frontier—or as suddenly convinced that -they are part of a plot to overthrow his throne. If rumour may be credited, his advisers are thoroughly disinclined to war, and if he goes too far, may carry through another Palace revolution.
