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-- LONDON, Dec 6. ‘When I last wrote, a fortnight ago, the news had just leaked out, that there was to be winter season of Parliament. How, or why, the Legislature should now be called together was at that time clothed in obscurity. The Liberals hoped for it, because the toil of the party would always deprive the Crown and the Government of their prerogative of declaring war. The Afghan Com mittee had demanded it, because that a committe is a party factionn body. It has since come to light that the majority of the Cabinet were in favour of summoning Parliament, because that step was indi cated as nectwsry by the India Act of 1858 That measure was passed by Government in a minority. Many of its clauses are very conflicting, and in order to be on the case al do the majority of the Ministers, contrary to Lord Besconsfield's personal views, were in favour of a winter cession. That reunion has opened today, and at this mo ment the debate is going on upon the no rm. Never, I believe, has Parliament been opened lik 4 Royal memage of such brevity. It does not speak of our Afghan difficulty as a war, but describes it as“ an expedition,” and the declaration that Parliament has been commoned in order to bear “the communication required by law, is a great concession to the constitu tional party. There is nother singular phrase in the Royal speech. We are not told that we am no friendly relations with other Powers, but that all foreign Powers give us assurances of their friendly feelings. The fact that there are no legisla tive proposals for domestic policy is considered to fore cast a dissolution in January, note withstanding the reference to a suitable recess” The brevity of thie speech, and the entire absence of information as to the causes of the war, or its probable cost, have caused profound irritation. It is possible that fral ing may be obliterated by ministerial explana tions, but just now there in great jealousy of Lord Besconsfeld's sapirations after personal govern ment, and the speech which the Premier has put into the mouth of the Sovereign is considered to be a bold step in the direction of this lordship's partialitice. If we want to know what the Government in tend doing, we must not look to the Queen’s mike Up to the time of my writing, tha to has not revealed their hand. I must there fore fall back upon private sources of information. The Ministry are not likely to make a large affair of this Afghan campaign. It is very generally believed the most they will attempt to accomplish before the winter has been almost already achieved. The fort of Ali Masjid and the Khyber Pass have fallen before General Browne, almost by magic. The way is now open as far as Jalalabad, which has been given up by the enemy, and it is expected that General Browne's army will occupy that fortress during the winter. General Roberts had an easy victory along the Khoram Valley. The natives were friendly; the Afghans retired from the Khoram fort, and though they made a formidable land at the Paiwar Pass, we have news to-day that General Roberts had taken that place, after a desperate fight, and that he is now making for the Shutargardan bus. To occupy Jilalabad, the Peiwar, or Shutergardan Paases and ar before the gnow stops further allows, and let Shere Ali and the Cabulees “ stew in eir own gravy all the spring, in the hope that meanwhile they may make overtures for peace, [if they do not make overtures, it will be soon enough to decide in the spring, when more will be known of Russia's intentions, whether there shall be a further advance to Cebu, and to the Hindoo Kush, or whether we shall rectify our frontier by permanently fixing ourselves at the pointa where our armies have entered. There appears to be some re straining motive for preventing the conquest or the reneration of Afghanistan. That motive may, I think, be discovered by a perusal of the Afghan and Central Asian lanes. If you would know why there is such a strong anti-Russian feeling in the country, extending even to the vary backbone of the Liberal party, I would recommend you to read this two volume. They contain the most complete revelation of Russian perfidy and mandacity that have ever been rcorded Gutaidé s three-volume novel. General Kauf- Mann's private correspondence with the Ameer, the arms of the Fasso-Afghan treaty, the hesitations, tod the absolute imbecility of the Iast Liberal Government and the two Liberal Viceroys, Lorde Lawrence and Northbrook, make up one of the most interesting, and, withal, one of the most saddening chapters of modern history ever issued from the Porsian office, Tam no Tory, but in common with the large majority of this country I must confess that of the two great political parties the Tories have blanderd the least in their Afghan power. But the future, and not the pest, is of the most importance. If the Government can avoid it they will go no further to i Qandahar, the Peiwar or the Bhutargerdan by preference, and Jelelsbad, and will regard those fires places on that outworks of the Indian Empire. Tua ost of the campaign has, oo far, very little exceeded a million Marling, and an Indian finance is going up with a cheer ful bound, it is deamed probable that the whale burden of this war will fall upon India. The course of pro cedure in the Honga is not yet defined, but it is Likely to Manumé some such shaps as this: ‘The Opposition leadare will not resort to much an extreme step as moving an amendment to the address, but at a later stage they may introduce « resolution 0 worded as to maddle the responsibility of the war upon the predent Govern ment. If the heads of the Opposition should be once mor moved by the tail, and the Liberal tactics degenerate into the tricks of faction, the Government are expected to beat them by a majority of 120, and to follow up the victory by appealing to the constituencies, in order to regain a lease of power for even more years. _ The outlook on the Continent has greatly im wince I just wrote, The Czar has made further Maurs nose that he will observe the Berlin Treaty, and Count Schouvalois has been going the round of the capitals on an similarly pacific errand. The Czar has also given Prince Dondonkoff-Karsakoff, and the Roume lian administrators generally, to understand that the Basic arriagements must be tied, for hie Imparist Majesty has found that Bismark regards this treaty as his own bantling, and will not allow it to be strangled. Roumelia is therefore in a changed atmosphere. Though the intrigues directed to reguin the ultimate annexation of that province with Bulgaria undoubtedly continue, very little is seen, of them, Russian zeal ia directed to another result, to ao complish which Count Schouvaloff is now in our midet. The S t Peterburg Government wish to conclude the long talked of indemnity treaty, which was left for settle ment with the Ports, outside the Berlin arrangement. Count Schouvalof is endeavouring to obtain the consent of the English Government to the draft terme of the Proposed arrangement, and there not only seems to be some likelihood of this being done, but the constitution of the latest Turkish Ministry, announced to-day, increases the probability of that revuee far as the need cae ae i talk of the English ing itects responsible for another Turkish loan of £ 25,000,000, though such a course in Anunounded very definitely, it almost seems incredible, specially as part of that £ 25,000,000 will go toward paying the Russians, in order to clear them onto that part of the con territory, the evacuation of which was not provisor under the Berlin instrument in connestion with this subject I may mention that we earn from good Berlin sources of Ruseda's intention to withdraw from Bulgaria and Roumelis, according to the Treaty; but she means to keep her hold upon Bourgas and Adrianople, until the indemnity question has been sstiafactorily apttled. It is for thie reason that she continuen to increases her armies in Turkey. If the indemnity negotiations are not speedily astiled, we may expect very serious difficulties. The Home Rulers are thoroughly divided amongst themselves, Mr. Butt for some weeks past has been issuing a perial of manifestors, the chief argument of which was that the policy of obstruction is unconstitu tional and hopsises. No very great attention hae been given to these utterances, for it is now pretty plain that the leader of the Hows Hula party hes lost all his authority. It is impossible to say what form the future Trish National will assume, but at present Mr. Parnall is the pomas with the masses, though un able to obtain any following among his Parliamentary collegiuse. Matters have been brought toe orlais by a demand on the part of the mor extreme section that an amend ment should be raised upon the addrem. Against this policy Mr. Butt lies steadily ast bie face, and Mr. Por nall is now endeavouring to find whether he will get enough of the Irish members to support him in such an amendment. It does not seem very likely that he will accused in this tat if he do it may be taken for that he will succeed in smedvely superseding Mr. Butt in the leaderhip of the Tri party. Much gratification has been caused in all circles by the enthusiasm of the reception which the Marquis of Lorna and the Princes Louina received in Canada; the Queen herself was so delighted that she sent a cable message expressing her gratification. The suggestion naturally arises that this first experiment in the govern ment of dependancies by the Queen's children will not be the only one made. It is already stated that the Duke of Connaught, who will be married next February, will (as 600 as the Duke of Marlborough om «on veniently be provided for), be installed ox Lord Lieu tenant of Ireland. Such an appointment would certainly be very popular and do a great deal of God, The Duke, during his residence in the sister country had succeeded in obtaining a large amount of popularity and at this moment no public subscription in being collected in Ireland for presenting him with a suitable present on the provision of his marriage. The time is gone by when princes can afford to live in ornamental idlenase. Probably the best use that they can be put to would be to bind more closely together the different portions of our extended empire. The Good cals, of which I wrote to you in my lost communication, has reached a decisive stage. Aew days ago the prosecutor in the case was extremely anxious that, having shown the child which his wits attempted to foint on him to the supposititions, he should be allowed to withdraw from the case. The magistrate, however, refused to sanction such a proceeding. When Lady Gooch appeared in the Court on the last occasion she looked very ill, and in short time after the announce ment of the provsidings who fainted, and had to be carried out of the Court. It was a painful feature in the case that, while Mr. Newton was announcing her committal for trial, her wild and hysterical cries could be heard from the neighbouring room one of the developments which is expected to aris from the casa is an action for divoros by the lady against her husband. The world has been much amused by one of tho es canes in which the artistic and literary state bring their grievances before stury. There is settled amongst us for some time an American artist named Whistler. He ia ons of innovators shout whom faree con flict of opinion wages. In the eyes of his notaries ha ja a heaven-born uniformer, while in shoes of his op ponents he saw pretentious mountebank. He belongs to what the French call the school of Iraprassionists— the school which devotes itealf principally to the re production—not so much of a soane on to the impression which it makes upon the artist. Accordingly it some times is not very easy to know whether the picture in mesnt ( represent a man, or a home, or a mountain, whether the scens be the ocean, neay lake, or on the banks of a river. Mr. Whistler has beam denied admission to the orthodox regions of the Royal day, but be in a favourite among some of the wealthier of society, and he,come time ago, revaived an invitation to exhibit in the Groevsnaor Gallery which a wealthy baronet has established for the brilliant cutcast of ark Among the other persons who visited the exhibition in the Grogvenor Gallery was Mr. Ruskin, and, naturally enough, he described his impres sions in periodical publication, which up to the pre sent hse not been much heard of. The terms which the great art critic applied to the American artist were ferocious. Mr. was Booxcomb, a con ceited cockney. He threw his paint brush in the eyes of the public, and he was almost guilty of wilful im posture. These were the terms for which Mr. Whistler called for retirees from a British jury. It iecewdues to point out how ridiculous the whole businen; how a certain number of shopkeepers led their heads as to the comparative merits of different, echoelu of painting; how the Ianyers tried to glean over their ignorance; how the Judge crashed jokes at both parties, and how the public resd with intense merriment opinions of rival artists upon each other's works. The end was a fitting caqual to the whole business Mr. Whistler received a verdict, but the damages awarded amounted to the magnificent sum of one farthing. We have had quite a cluster of deaths during the loot few days of people of more or less public import ance. Mr. George Henry Lewes will probably be as well known to your readers as to usher. He was a man of wondrous fertility of production, and of ex traordinary breadth of range. He wrote on almost every subject under the aun; and everything that he wrote was worth reading—lucid, interesting, suggestive. Te was better acquainted almost than Carlyle with German literature ; and this biography of Goethe still rmtains the standard work on that subject in Germany almost oa much so in England. In fact, it has gone through more edi tions among the compatriota of the great, German poet than among us, or. Leives likewiss wrots on every school of philosophy from the days of the Greeks to ours, and his biographical history of philosophy is an intensely interesting work. But those heavier studies formed but « part of his mental activity. as was the adapter, under a pseudonym, of » play which Mr. Charles Mathews used to perform under the titles of the “Game of Speculation. Hawae himeslf also an amateur actor of no mean talent, and ha pub lishad quite recently an excellent little series of psasye on“ Actora and Acting.” Finally, he was the author in his youth of three novels, which, though killed by the remorseless hand of time, are far above the average. He will, however, be best mown in the future of literary history as the husband of George Eliot. The present Archbishop of Canterbury is a severel stricken man in his domestic affections. Gamer in beck, three or four of his children were carried off by an epidemic in the brief space of a week. Quite recently his only surviving son died, and now he had lost his wife. Mrs. Tait was a most excellent woman, full of kindly feeling, and withal gifted with an iniellect and a strength of character that materially helped her husband in reaching his present eminence. Mr. Alfred Wigan had for years retired from the stage, and his death cannot accordingly be regarded an d lead to the theatrical profession. He was one of those actors who have a higher itom im society than in their profesion. Accomplagant in manners, topltess in ‘his private be obtained entrance to cirtlea from which the ordinary man of his profes sional ‘brethren is carefully excluded. He was a favourite with the Queen, and often superintended theatrical performances at Windsor Castle. To complete my obituary list, I must mention two Trish, members of Parliament, who is deatha ace announced this very day on which Parliament meets. Mr. John Dunbar, the Homa Base member for New Ross, was originally a reporter on the staff of the Times, in the gallery. He wen called to the bar, emigrated to Bombay, where he made a large fortune, then re turned to his native country and received a climax to a rather successful career by election to the Hous. His residence in the East, however, had ruined his health, while it made his fortune, he had been ailing ever since his entrance into the Housa under a complication of diseases, and finally he died after a few days’ confing ment to his room. Professor Smyth was an ex-Presby terian clergyman, who took up position rather Ista in lift, still continuing his connection with his old profa gion, be fer an to ramsin Professor of Theology in a Presbyterian college, He qua_ap Irish Liberal ps dis.
Newspaper Details
Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney, New South Wales, AU
Sat, Jan 25, 1879
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Debra B.
USA 19 Jun 2026
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