NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 887, 28 April 1877, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

(Ha?ne News.) The aspect of the Eastern Question remains as doubtful as ever. Russia is manifestly en. deavoring to pledge Europe to some new scheme involving coercion of the Porte, and it is rumored that if not successful in the attempt she will retire from the Treaty of Paris.

General Ignatieff has been to Berlin, and is now in Paris, where he has been met by Count Schouvaloff, the Russian Ambassador in London.

At Berlin General Ignatieff had a very cordial reception, and it is stated there in some official prints that the consent of England and France to the abrogation or modification of the Treaty of Paris is essential to the preservation of peace. The Russian semi-official press loudly complains at the refusal of Engtend-to coerce the Porte, and says that if war breaks out it will be the fault of England alone. The concentration of "Russian troops in Bessarabia cqnfcmues, and eight new army corps, have been ordered.

The Pprte protests that it will make no concessions to Russia, that it Mill tolerate no interference with its Imperial authority, and is displaying great military acf ivity. There' have been great debates on the Eastern Question in both Houses of Parliament. On Friday, February 16th, Mr Gladstone brought forward the subject in a speech which Mr Hardy answered, saying that the Government would in no case apply coercion to Turkey.

The same evening Mr Chaplin made a passionate attack on Mr Gladstone, accusing him of conduct inconsistent with a man of honor. Mr Gladstone retaliated, and the scene was one of confusion and excitement On Tuesday, Feb. 20th, there was a grcav debate in thel House of Lords, raised by the. Duke of Argyll's motion, supported by his grace in a brilliant speech. Lord Derby answered, and Lords Salisbury -who made a very effective and admirable speech—Granville and Beaconsiield closed the debate.

The result of these discussions in both Homes

is that the Opposition have no practical alternative to the Ministerial policy to propose. Great progress has been made with the regular business of Parliament during the last few -weeks, the Universities Bill, the Irish Sunday Closing Bill, the Colonial Marriage Bill having been read a second time, while the Prisons Bill is now in committee. A farewell banquet was given to Sir Bartlc Frere at the Langham Hotel, on Wednesday, February 28th, at which Lords Salisbury and Carnarvon were present. The Solicitor-General, Sir Hardingc G-iffard, has been returned by 118 majority for Launccston. A deputation from the factory operatives, introduced by Lord Shaftesbury, waited on Lord Beaconsfield on March 6th to congratulate him on his elevation to the peerage. & The Rev. A. Tooth, who is now in Italy, has written to his churchwardens recommending them to remain quiet, and adding that on his return from the continent he will assert his right to officiate in Hatcham Church. Obituary of the Month. —Sir William Fergusson, Bart.; Sir J. E. Harrington; Sir Wm. Hamilton; the Hon. W. F. Byng; J. M. Cobbett, M.P.; Ladv Augusta Vivian; the Earl of Bandon; Capt. Cowper; Col. F. Hammond; John Oxenford; W. R. Elstcd, J.P. for Kent; Lord George Gordon Lennox; the the Hon. R. Hely Hutchinson; the Dowager Viscountess Mountmorres; the Hon. Mrs Bathurst; Lady Gambier; Marquis of Northampton; Dowager Coxmtess of St Germans; Admiral H. Gosset; Admiral C. H. Swinburne.

{The World.) As the royal procession was wending its way to St. Stephen's on the opening' day, a kilted Highlander reclining in one of the royal carriages attracted tho notice of the crowd. "Hooray!" cried the many-headed; " 'ere's John Brown!" The Highlander thrust his head out of the window in a rage. " I'm not John Brown !" he cried; " I'm Cameron of Lochiel!"

There is a fine field for the Good Templars in Birmingham, if the habits of the community are to be inferred from the following advertisement in the local papers : " Pimple removing Sarsaparilla beer. Creates health, strength, and vigour. Unequalled for the horrors and delirium, tremens." An old Saxon slander on tVic daughters of Erin is that Irish servants are apt to bo deficient in cleanliness. Matters must be improving, however, when a young woman advertises in the Dublin papers that she is a good cook, can be well recommended, and 'would not object to a small washing." A French student of English customs has just discovered that the English aristocracy drink habitually to excess at dinner, but do not get drunk because they fortify themselves previously with a wineglassful of oil, which prevents the stomach from absorbing the alcohol.

It is not long, says 'Atlas,' since Lord Granville remarked 'to me, apropos of the yellow upholstery with which the late Duke of Wellington adorned Walmer Castle, that ' for some reason yellow was hardly appreciated in this country as it deserves.' After white it is the prevailing colour among (lowers ; but some nonsense about ' green is forsaken and yellow forsworn ' has banished yellow from the list of favourite hues. I am glad that we are going to change all this ; that yellow is to applied to be that noblest of objects, the decoration of the female form divine. The fashionable colour, which is neither orange nor iemon, primrose nor apricot, buff nor brimstone, but a dowr right brilliant yellow, is to be named, I hear, ' Mandarin,' out of compliment to the Chinese ambassador. The few ancient gentlemen still extant of those who figured as Corinthians under the Regency may recollect the yellow ' fogle ' which, when spotted with white, became the battle-flag of Jim Belcher. ' Mandarin ' resembles it very closely. There is some danger that the adoption of this hue will be regarded as injustice to Ireland, where ladies may npt wear any colour approximating to orange or green on pain of figuring as political partisans. The Prince of Wales, it is announced, will not send his sou to a public school, but to the Britannia training-ship. Probably the resolution, if His Royal Highness has actually arrived at it, is wise—certainly it is one which the Prince has only taken after much deliberation, and certainly, also, it is one which, in this age of mimicry, will have considerable effect upon English society. Two events of special interest to the theatrical world, but of general and national interest as well, have recently taken place — first, the funeral of Mr John Oxenford, formerly dramatic critic of the Times, scholar, wit, and playwright, who was buried according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, pn Wednesday, February 28th, in the presence of some two hundred of his friends ; yecondly, Mr Compton's benefit performance at Drury Lane, March Ist. Mr Compton himself did not play, but his son made his dehut in " Money." and hardly a name of note upon the stage was absent from the programme.

It is stated that the authorities of the Post Office have resolved to abandon to a large extent the employment of young women in the telegraph department, and the persons recently appointed to the staff have all been young men. The reason given for this step is that the women cannot be employed during the night. An experiment has been made at Warrington by the North Western Railway Company with regard to the employment of young ladies as booking clerks, but the result lias been such, after an experience of eight mouths, that the company has given them tlicir. eonr/e, and replaced them with'clerks of the sterner sex. It u rumoured that the ladjcs, wlip, acted as ticket distributors discharged their cjuties so gracefully and sq agreeably to the passengers that frequently the patience of the guards was tested somewhat severely, as through the conversations) at tho booking otiiee window the trains were not uui'requently delayed.

In the House of Commons on Friday week, Mr Gladstone interrupted the speech on our treaty obligations in order to make what seemed to him a very necessary explanation. Ho said —"I" a paper conducted with great ability in the North of England I vpad this morning a statement lrom 'An Occasional fiorrespondent' which I am rather desirous 1,0 co'nt radict. ?t was to the effect that a most formidable pl all had, been in operation for the purpose of dethroning the Sultan of Turkey, and placing On his throne his Royal Highness the Buke of Edinburgh, and the promoters of that plan were four most formidable individuals—in the fh'st piaco, Prince Bismarck ; in the second place, the Emperor of Russia ; in the third place. Lord Beaconsfleld; and, lastly, Mr Gladstone. I may venture to say, whatever may be the possibilities of the Eastern Question, that there is no truth whatever in that statement."