TOPICS OF THE DAY. A BSTEMIOUSNESS, Indian ... ... 1242 Action and Literature.- 617-651 Afghanistan, the Agitation in (April 22nd) ... 551 — Ayoub Khan, Escape of ... 1206 —...

party among the Conservatives, will not hear of a coalition, though he wishes to see Mr. Goschen borrowed by his party as leader of the Conservatives in the House of Commons. He...

the Liberal Divisional Council of West Birmingham on the Minis- terial crisis. He began by a kind of panegyric on Lord Randolph Churchill, which has even been interpreted as...

statements this week as to the actual grounds of quarrel between Lord Randolph Churchill and the Prime Minister. Lord Salis- bury has been represented as declining to insist on...

case.

unusual severity. The soft white fluff fell continuously for eight hours, and on Monday morning there were eight inches of snow upon the ground. That was nuisance enough, for...

T HE event of the week in foreign affairs has been the rise of a rumour, as yet unverified, that the situation in Europe has been suddenly and seriously changed. Prince...

Lord Hartington returned to England on Wednesday night, and held consultations with his Unionist colleagues on Thursday. The result has not yet officially transpired, but all...

what has been called " Mr. Chamberlain's olive- branch." He sees in it no olive-branch, but only " the toe of a gentleman who regards himself as an infallible Pope, and who...

to the Raby Mines in Bnrmah. The " mines " exist in a desolate enclosed valley some 6,200 ft. above the sea, and a small column of English and Ghoorka soldiers was, by the last...

intended to imply that the Czar has either gone mad, or has fallen into a state of nervous fury which renders him irrespon- sible. It has been stated publicly that he strangled...

ment been arming for a considerable period. According to the Military Gazette of Berlin, it has so far perfected its prepara- tions that the whole of the Army on a war...

Wednesday, takes Mr. Labouchere to task for this attack on Mr. Chamberlain. He maintained that Mr. Chamberlain's pro- posal "deserves the most anxious and friendly consideration...

do ? There is only one point,—the resolve to give an inde- pendent Legislature to Ireland,—on which they differ from the Unionist Liberals. They are now agreed with them, he...

to a deputation from Ulster Unionists. They were in favour of an extension of the purchase system, and of State control and purchase of railways, and their general object was to...

unofficially, and he made practically no reply to them whatever. They were, however, invited to his country house, and in society every possible sympathy is shown them. Their...

Mission to Thibet has been abandoned. He maintains that the Chinese were sincere in permitting it, that the Dalai Lama and the older priests were in favour of it, and that...

was pretty certain, in the defeat of Mr. Haysman, the Home- rule candidate, by a large majority. But the majority, instead of having increased, as we anticipated, since the last...

and interesting speech at Liverpool on Thursday, declared that the Naval Estimates for next year, so far from being exces- sive, would show a positive reduction upon the figures...

Consols were on Friday 1001 to 1004xd.

as his colleague ; but he pressed in the strongest way the argument that any rupture among Unionists, or any falter- ing in their support of the Government, meant the return of...

to be even greater than the distress at home. Mr. John Norton, New South Wales Labour Delegate, writes to the Times of last Saturday (Christmas Day) a most striking account of...

- F I ORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL, though no longer the 1 "young man" of the popular imagination, is still young enough to gain a great place, whether in England or in Europe, and it...

THE PROSPECTS OF A POLITICAL FUSION. T HE prospect of a fusion between the moderates who call themselves Liberals, and the moderates who call them- selves Conservatives,—which...

M R. CHAMBERLAIN'S speech at Birmingham last week was really intended, no doubt, as an olive-branch to the Liberals led by Mr. Gladstone, and has been so regarded by Mr. Henry...

W E are inclined to believe, and most sincerely hope, that the semi-official announcement in the Standard as to the new organisation of Burmah is correct. We incline to believe...

A SIND of mist has descended on foreign politics. With the telegraphs disorganised by the snow, and all the Governments putting out stories about their entire freedom from fear,...

the more pleasure fate seems to take in reminding us that increase of appliances is only increase of wants. What we are accustomed to have, that we look for ; and if once in a...

T HE European world is ringing with libels upon the Czar. The stories come from all quarters, and all sorts of men ; they all bear the same stamp, and indicate the same...

W E have sometimes wondered what life would be to beings who had no periodic recurrences by which to measure out their actions, feelings, and memories,—beings whose little...

LORD RANDOLPH'S CONVERSION TO RETRENCHMENT. [To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR.") Sia,—Lord Randolph Churchill has left the Ministry because he disapproves of the proposal of...

To TEE EDITOR OP TEE " SPECTATOR. " I Sia,—You have shown in your article on "Liberal Unionist Organisation" that it is not by sitting still, but by active pro- pagandism, that...

[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR.'] 8114—Will you allow me, as an Irish Protestant property- holder, to explain why I think it is that the " Plan of Cam- paign" is not...

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR. "] SIR, —In his notice of " A Madagascar Manual," published in your columns of December 25th, the reviewer asks :—" Yet what does Mr. Oliver...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR-" 1 Sift,—The present fixed rent in Ireland has evidently broken down. What is a fair rent in one year is not a fair rent in another. However,...

cro THII EDITOR OF THY " SPECTATOR.") Silt,—Your correspondent, Mr. Williams, has hit on one fault with regard to modern bookbinding, but not the only fault. It was mentioned, I...

MR. BRETT'S PAINTINGS AT THE FINE ART SOCIETY. Ir is really to be wished that more painters would follow Mr. Brett's example, and show what great results may be obtained from...

A CITY COURTSHIP. THE proper place for courting, By the story-books' reporting, Is some lane or meadow-pathway, out of sight of town, With the sweetness blowing over From the...

THE PRINCESS CASAMASSIMA.* PERHAPS this remarkable book has more title to be classed as a " novel" than as any other literary creation. It certainly is still less of a romance...

A PECULIAR and touching interest belongs to this latest memorial of the abilities and high character of General Robert Lee. It has been written by General Long, for some time...

THE first two novels on our list are decidedly able and interesting books, and may both be described as novels of redemption. In Muriel's Marriage, the redemption is that of a...

Tam book comes before us as a pleasant reminder of an okt friend, from whom we would gladly hear more frequently. In her graceful little poem of "Claudia," Mrs. Prideaux touched...

Tax book which now appears in a new edition, after the lapse of more than fifty years, was the work of an officer in the medical service of the East India Company. To say that...

WHATEVER may be the true state of the case as to the prac- ticability or impracticability of any scheme for a closer Imperial bond between Great Britain and her Colonies, there...

Protection and Rescue Society. By the Bishop of Salford. (J. Roberts and Sons, Salford.)—It is rather amusing to see how the Roman Catholics resent in others the proselytism...

(Isbister and Co.)—Good Cheer, as our readers are no doubt aware, is the Christmas number of Good Words, and Paths of Peace of the Sunday Magazine. On these we can comment...

The Song of the Bell. By Schiller. Translated by E. P. Arnold- Forster. (John Dale and Co., Bradford.)—This is a spirited trans- lation, which gives a very good impression of...

Zeller. Translated by Sarah Frances Alleyne and Evelyn Abbott. (Longmans.)—Dr. Zeller gives in this volume a sketch intended for lees advanced students of the subject, dealt...

annual issue of the publication which took the place of the Clerical Directory, for several years issued by the same house. It is a neatly printed volume, containing the usual...

by Henry Irving. (Clarendon Press, Oxford.)—This dis- course, as our readers are no doubt aware, was delivered last June in the University Schools at Oxford. It is necessarily...

Clarendon Press.)— The book has, of course, been frequently edited before, and we are inclined to prefer one at least of these editions (that by Professors W. W. Goodwin and...

read an ode of Horace ought to correct for ever the delusion that Hebrew sentiment could be essentially worthy of the most momentary superiority over Latin thought and...

from Letters sent Home from the Crimea, 1854-1856. By "An Edinburgh Boy." (William Blackwood and Sons.)—All who are old enough to remember the Crimean War, and all who care to...

John Bulls. Von Leopold Katacher. (G. J. Goeschen'sche Verlagshandlang, Stuttgart.)—If less lively than Max O'Rell, who has also favoured us with his impressions of John Bull,...

Co.)—Mr. Geary, who is the editor of the Bombay Gazette, seems to have resolved upon acting as his own war correspondent when difficulties arose in Barmah; and he pleads for his...

By Lady Colin Campbell. (Sampson Low and Co.)—This is a pleasant and readable little volume, though it does not contain much that is new. There are some fresh stories, however,...

(Heywood, Manchester.)—Valuable as this book doubtless is, and interesting as must be a considerable part of its contents to Man- chester men in the first place, and to...

Edmonds. With Introduction and Notes. (Trfibner.)—This is a book representative of the poetry of modern Greece, " a selection," as it is described on the title-page, "from...