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SUMMARY OF PASSING EVENTS,

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SUMMARY OF PASSING EVENTS, THE Luxemburg question, which threatened war between Prussia and France, has for the present been set at rest, by both Governments agreeing to submit it to a Conference now being held in London. At first it was proposed that represen- tatives of Russia, Austria, and England should alone settle the matter. Tken England suggested that Icaly and Belgium should also have represen- tatives, and the other Powers agreed to this Now France suggests that Holland should depute some one to represent her at this Conference. which is not likely to be disputed. Thus, we shall have six representatives of the great Powers of Europe meeting in London. There are not a few who believe that the question will be a very difficult one to settle. Affairs which are going on in Prussia are looked upon with doubt and almost with trembling. The French Chamber has com- municated nothing but what is vague and unsatis- factory. The formation of the camp at Chalons at an earlier date tham usual is accounted for by the fact that the troops are to travel by rail instead of marching to their destination; and the reason of this is said to be that the passage of soldiers through country towns at the present moment would probably be the cause of great excitement. Meanwhile there is no doubt that Prussia is cen- tralising a great army, and there are not a few who put a war-like meaning to all this. The latest accounts, however, are of a more favourable character, and it is even said France is willing to reduce her army to a peace footing if Prussia will do the same. It is hoped sincerely that the crisis is over, and that peaceable relations will still exist between two great countries like Prussia and France. If war was to break out there, who knows where it may end ? YJEKY doubtful accounts reach us from Mexico; sometimes we hear Juarez is victorious, and some- times the Emperor Maximilian. It would appear that hitherto there has been nothing but guerilla warfare going on, but it is believed that the native president will conquer. in the long run. It must bo rather humiliating to a bold fellow, like Maximilian undoubtedly is, to be pitied and patronised by such a man as his enemy Juarez, who has magnanimously announced that should the Emperor be captured he is to be treated as a prisoner of war, and with all respect due to un- successful valour." It may be profitable to be thus protected, but the prospect of being captured by such a force as that which Juarez commands cannot be a pleasant one for the high-spirited Austrian prince. THE insurrection is still going on in Crete, the inhabitants being in open rebellion against tbe authority of Turkey. Russia and France propose that since the insurrection cannot be put down, the island had better be given up. The Porte has, however, resolved in good earnest to see if they cannot get over the difficulty in a more favourable manner. Omar Pasha, wir.h a strong body of troops, half Turkish and half Egyptian, has landed in the island. Some ships of war will co-operate with the army, and vigorous efforts are being made to suppress the revolt. Oar natural sympathies are with the Christians in Crete, who are desirous of uniting themselves with Greece, but nonintervention ia foreign affairs is the principle of the English Go- vernment, and however good the cause of the Cretans may be, we mlilst leave them to fight for liberty their own way. AFTER a fair trial carefully conducted with every desire to give the prisoners all the advan- tages which the technicalities of law and able advocacy could afford them, several of the Fenian prisoners in Dublin have been found guilty of high treason, and the traitor's sentence of death has been passed upon two of them, Burke and Doran. The former, in addressing the Court, boasted that he would tread the scaffold defiantly in furtherance of American principles. He invoked the vengeance of Heaven on Massey, the informer, and prayed that God would yet raise Ireland to be the sister of Columbia. Neither of these prisoners denied the justice of his sentence. The Lord Chief Justice (Whiteside), who for the first time put on the black cap, said the verdict of the jury was quite warranted by the evidence, and in passing sentence told the prisoners that they had com- mitted high treason—the greatest of crimes-and that one week's success might have caused loss of life which no one could estimate. The judges had no power to alter the sentence of the law. Burke, he said, was a ringleader throughout the con- spiracy; he was taken red-handed in rebellion, and had forfeited his life. Doran was also a chief conspirator, and he warned him, notwithstanding the recommendation of the j ary, not to calculate on mercy. The Court postponed the day of execu- tion as long as possible, which was fixed for the 29bh of May, which, by-the-bye, is the day of the restoration of Charle3 It. It is possible even now, however, that the Royal prerogative of mercy may be extended to the criminals, and the sentence be commuted to penal servitude for life. STRIKES throughout the country still continue, and there are at the present moment 2,800 tailors on strike in London, and many hundred women, A curious proof of the ill effects of strikes h3,s just been presented in the case of Carr House Colliery, near Rotherbam. It seems that the men had im- posed eertais fines on some of the boys working with them for breaking lamps. These fines the boys generally regarded as unjust, and they I unanimously resolved not to descend the mines until the said fines were rescinded. The result was that some 100 men were thrown out of em- ployment. It would thus appear that combina- j tion ma.y be as troublesome to men as the men 1 themselves have made it to their masters. The conflict between employers and employed is now got to a fearful pitch. What is to be the end of all this? The interests of labour and capital are really identical; cannot they be made practically so? At present the relations between the two forces are competitive, not to say antagonistic. When will they become co-operative and har- monious ? ) THE new Reform Bill is proceeding slowly j through committee. We have now arrived at j household rating suffrage and one year' resi- I dence. The Government clause imposed two years' tenure, but, by a majority of eighty-one in the House of Commons, carried an amendment in favour of the lesser term. A host of other amend- ments have yet to be disposed of, and very likely long debates will ensue upon many of the details of the bill. The Opposition will try the "squeez- ability" of the Government to the utmost, and endeavour to bring the bill out of committee as liberal as possible. Mr. Disraeli made another concession on Monday—viz., that the compound householder should pay the ordinary rate when he chose to be on the register, and deduct the full amount from his landlord, and that the latter may be at no loss, a new clause permits him to set aside the contract for the house that his tenant pays rates for. THE great Reform demonstration which came off in Hyde-park, on Monday, ended without riot or disquietude; the Government at the last moment threw the park opeD; made no display of policemen, and the vast concourse. of people assembled, passed their resolutions, and retired, in the greatest order. Great credit is due to all parties concerned for the manner in which the proceedings were conducted.

STATIONS OF THE BU1T18H ARMY.

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. | THE LUXEMBURG QUESTION.…

?-: _T___.._1f THE BUCKHURST…

DEPOT BATTALIONS,

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TOW1T T -A. XJ K. ]