LONDON TOWN TALK.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 23 March 1881, Page 2

LONDON TOWN TALK.

« The London correspondent of the Melbourna Age says :— Mr Bradlaueb, Iho member for Northampton, in connection with whom last session we bad so many superfluous debates, is just now beset with two or three troubles of no ordinary kind. Not only are two actions being brought against him for penalties incurred in sitting in Parliament without having taken the prescribed oaths, but, not content with attacking his pncket, bisenemies seem also to seek his life. The other day he received a letter threatening death to the ' detestable atheist,' while m few days before ho liad received a pressing invitation from M. Laisant. the editor of the Petit Parisien, to fight a due?. There seems to have been for some time a newspaper quarrel betwepen the Petit Parisien nod the National .Reformer, the paper Mr Bradhugh edits in London, and the editor of the former part conceived that his English opponent would have no objection to settling the dispu torn the manner dear to the honor of the French journalists. Mr Bradlaugh, how* ever, explained to M. Liisant that theso things are managed differently in England, and much to the dissatisfaction of the fire-eating redadeur, he has refused to accept the challenge. French duel?, especially jiurmlists' duels, are not often very tragic. During the post rear the encounters have been innumerable, while only tlireo of them have ended fatally. There is an old nursery story about th« kines of France who drew out their swords, and then put them back again ; and modern French duellists seem to follow their example. Mr Bradlaudi might therefore very easily have gono out to fi^ht and come buck nono the worse for the encounter, but nevertheless he is to be congratulated on tho moral courag3 which enabled him to stop at home. The air is, however, just row full of mysterious scares of another kind. Tho

iFenian organisation is said to bate suddenly burst forth into action again throughout the whole of England. Three or four fires have taken place in the docks at Liverpool within the past few days, which have borne the appearance of being tho work of incendiaries. No real harm was done owing to the promptness of the fire brigade, but a good many uncom« fortabte remembrances were awakened by them. A similar fire took place four days ago in the Custom House at Lon» don ; and this, though e«Hily extinguished, furnished a further justification for the widespread fears which had sprung up. The volunteer armories throughout London and the provinces are guarded night and day; and the Fecre« tary of State for War urged a too cuii* ous member a night or two ago to with* draw his inquiry why this was. Whether the authorities have received any definite and reliable information concerning the revival of Fenians is of course oriknown ; but certainly nothing has yet occurred in London and the provinces which need l^e attributed to anything more serious than the spile of discontented employes or the wanton mischief of half , a score of foolish people. That , Fenianism wns never thoroughly stamped oat » unrlemiflble; the 'snake wa* sro'ohed and iwl killed ; out nevertheless it in a gratuitous assumption, unwarranted by anything which has recently occurre't. to nuy that we are ndw about to witness itsre* awakening.