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LONDON CORRESPONDENCE.

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LONDON CORRESPONDENCE. -0- THE holding of Cabinet Councils at Downing;- street forms almost a daily item of news in the metropolitan papers. An occurrence so unusual as this, and only experiencad when the country is pasain? through a grave crisis, keep3 the political world in a state ot constant excite- inont. Ru aours, pacific -or alarming in their tendency, crop up by turn3, though there ¡ h generally a preponderance of the latter in the evening papers. The reassuring effect of Lord Cicnavvoa's statement, mide to the deput ation o? South African merchants who waited upon him at the Colouial Office, could hardly b3 said to have lasted twenty-four hours. The strength of language he used when he spoke abou" the insanity of going to war on behalf of Turkey conveved an i:nprtssion at first that there must hi more unanimity in the Cabinet than was com- monly supposed; but this feeling soon died away when rumour followed rumour of serious Minis-j terial differences, and of a probable appeal by the Premier to the country immediately after he had felt the pulse of Parliament, which will now soon be in session. In f ic> the political prognosticatora, who have pome means of knowing what is on the cards, talk about the great probability or a reconstruc- tion of the Cabinet as well as of an early general election. Indeed it is difficult to see, ir the Prime Minister still adheres to the war polioy which found expression in his speeches, how Lord Carnarvon and Mr. CroiS, who hold quite oppo- site views, can much longer remain members of the Cabinet. Lord Derby might also be included, as he has made statements quite agreeing in spirit with those of the Colonial and Home Secretaries. In his speech at Bradford on Saturday evening Mr. Forster gave it as his deliberate opinion that if differences still existed in the Cabinet, the Premier should appeal to the nation between himself and the Foreign and Colonial Secretaries. This, indeed, would be the proper coarse, con- sidering the seriousness of the situation, and the awful responsibilities conneoted with involving the country in a war, which might likely become European in its magnitude. If there be division in the Cabinet, there is also divi- sion of opinion in the country, and a general elec- tion would be the fairest way of letting the views of the majority of the nation prevail. On the last occasion, at the beginning of 1874, when Parliament was suddenly dissolved, the great bulk of the elections were over in about a fort- night, and this example of promptitude might well serve for an occasion like the present when an appeal to the country is again upon the otrds. The institution of the new Imperial Order of the Crown of India-whiah is to be worn by the Princesses of the reigning house, by the wives and other female relatives of Indian Princes, and by the wives of Indian officials — has brought together a very curious agglomeration or conglomeration of names in the list of the first reoipients of the decoration. The name of the Maharanee Dhuleep Singh does not look so strange imme- diately following that of the Princess Mary of Cambridge, as it must be familiar to the readers of Court news; but it was rather startling at first, from the Dovelty of the thing, to see such names as those of her Highness Maharanee Seta Velass Dawajee Ammanee Anaro of Mysore and her Highness Maharanee Jumna Bai Sahib Gaekwar of Baroda mingled with the simpler and more pro- nounceible names of members of the Royal Family and the nobility of England. Before this new Oriental splendour the Order of the Star of India must perforce pale its ineffectual fires." What wouid be done with these Orders if Mr. Bright's expectation of the English letting go their hold of India were some day, however far remote, to be fulfilled? Mr. Fitzjames Stephens seems to believe as well as hope that England will have dominion over India for ages to come, and there- fore the question just put is one with which he at least will give himself little concern. The demolition of Temple Bar is attracting greater attention from passers-by than the building of the new Law Courts in its imme- diate neighbourhood has ever done. It is just as well that the fiat which at last went forth against the old arch is being put into execution, as it would have been looked down upon contemptuously by the stately structure which is rising near it3 site. The City authori- ties, while acknowledgiag the necessity of removing the Bar, were anxious that it should be reconstructed somewhere else but they felt as much difficulty in fixing uoon a suitable place as the patrons of Cleopatra's Needle did when the controversy about that obeli ik was at its height a short time ago. However, the Bethnal- green Vestry have come opportunely to the rescue by deciding to ask for its removal to an eligible site in Victoria-park. There is every likelihood that the City authorities will *;raut this request, and there ia thus good proapeot of an old street obstruction, possessing some interest from historic associations, becoming the ornament of an East-end park. Walter Thornbury wrote a fine poem on Temple Bar, but the London poets of the future will not be able to say with him: How often, like a furnace mouth, I've seen in days of summer drouth The archway flamiug red With sunset crimsons, fold on fold, That turned the Strand to burning gold, Then darkened overhead. And on how many a fairy night I've seen the sprinkling silver light Transmute thy royalty; Invest thy kings with saintly gleams Crowning with halo of moonbeams Thy transient majesty." Never again shall burly Johnsons or gossipy Boswells, genial Goldsmiths or luokless Chatter- tons pass through the arches of Temple Bar. Attempts have been made of late in some parts of London to convert glove fights"- which are associated with quite as large an amount of ruffianism as prize fights-into legiti- mate amusements. A little while ago some dis- reputable "entertainments" of the kind took place in Sadler's Wells Theatre, and last week the proprietor of a skating-rink in the violnity of Bethnal-green let out his premises for the same sort of thing, describing it in the advertisements as an assault of arms. The actors in the sparring match, which lasted about an hour and a-half, belonged apparently to the class out of whom prize-fighters used to be grown, and the spec- tators, judging from the display of ruffianism they made, were kith and kin to the bull-necked type of blackguards who always struggled for the foremost places behind the P.R. ropes. Mr. Bushbv inflicted the full penalty of £5 and costs upon the offending proprietor of the skating- rink, and has thus done something to give an effectual check to an attempted revival of prize pugilism. The fisticuff business that goes on openly on the streets of London is quite large enough already; it stands in need of no encou- ragement. D. G.

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FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. },

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A NEW TRADE BETWEEN AMERICA…

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RUSSIA, TURKEY, AND ENGLAND.

MR. FORSTER, M.P., AT BRADFORD.

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THE WAR. \i1 m a

WAR ITEMS.

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WILLS AND BEQUESTS.

.WHICH IS THE BEST PAVEMENT?

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