NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE prospect for the present is warlike,—warlike, we mean, in the European sense,—in the sense that an extension of the war beyond the number of the present combatants is too probable. Servia and Turkey have been fighting again, on the 28th and the 30th 'Of September, without much result on either side,—each party loudly claiming the advantage, and each apparently having won tome positions from the other. But the new elements in the general situation are that Turkey has refused the English pro- posals, while promising even greater reforms of a spontaneous 'kind; that England is said to have withdrawn her pro- tection from Servia, for her obstinacy in declining the ex- tended armistice,—which does not mean much, even if it is true ; and that Russia (before Turkey's refusal was known) proposed, either to Austria alone, or to all the Powers, that Austria should occupy Bosnia, and Russia Bulgaria, to see the reforms which it was then expected that Turkey would accept, carried out. Of course, the jealousies are very great, and the rumours come thick. It is said that Austria would resist Russia by force of arms, if Russia were to act on her own suggestion ; again, that Austria would accept that suggestion, but occupy Servia as well as Bosnia, in order to hold the balance truer; further, that England has peremp- torily rejected Russia's suggestion, and said that if it be acted on without her consent, she should consider only her own interests in the matter,—a very safe statement ; and lastly, that Russia has moved the Powers to impose a six months' armistice on Turkey.
