Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

10 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

dbNDÓN CORRESPONDENCE.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

fAf J dbNDÓN CORRESPONDENCE. ;) fTIHE holidays this season—whion may be • j. regarded as extending over the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day- -have, on the whole, been pretty enjoyable so far as weather goes. The temperature under wen 5 variations numerous enough to satisfy all tastes. The two hours' fall of snow that followed two 1days of frost imparted for -the time a seasonable aapeot to the streets but the white covering soon disappeared before the heavy rain which spa dily tptt it out of existence. The snow indeed came isnd vanished with the suddenness of a mysterious apparition, like Sir Waiter Scots s White Lady of A venal. Though the seawn of festivity and good fellow- ship is a time of reoreation to most people, it is not so to everybody. The quantity of shopping done at this period is something enormous, and hence those whose duty it is to serve customers find their occupation to be anything but. a sine- cure. Even after Christmas has come and gone maav shcp windows still present a festive ap- 7 pearanoe, and the at-racfcive articles they display to prove very tempting to the holiday-makers of both sexes whoara wanderirgaimlefslyabaut the streets. They have generally, when tbns occu- pied, some loose cash in their pocket?, and it flies off like steel filings in the presence of the load- atone magnet. However, it is better to spend their money in this way than to pas* it, in to the tills of the publicans, as a good many do at this season. On the streets about the average number of roysterers were to be seen, tk mgh teetotalers may be of opinion that the leniency sho-n by Mr. Flowers, when drank »ad disorderly perions were brought up at Bow-street, is not very well calculated to promote the sobriety of the community at the feativa season. One old delin- quent, whom he ht too easily off, appeared to be on such. a friendly footing with the magistrate that she thanked him heartily, and wished him a merry Christmas. 1. At the opening of a new year the politic! out- look is by no means auspicious. It is now becom- ing' clearer every day that there was good reason for calling Parliament togetber at an earlier date than nouil. A critical period is evidently ap- proaohing. and all the wisdom of Parliament will tIbe needed to prevent the country from entering on (Ta- dangerous course. The first step of a line of policy, which may lead either to beneficial or dis- astrous results, was taken when, immediately upon the fall of Plevna, our Ambassador at Constanti- nople waa instructed to impress upon the Porte the advisability of requesting the services o! the neutral Powers with a view to mediation. It was in oonsequenoe of the representations made by Mr. Layard that a Circular Note was des- patched by the Ottoman Government to the sig- natories of the Treaty of 1871. To this Ciroular Note the neutral Powers have not given any favour- able response, as it gave no indication of a basis on which a settlement of the questions at issue be- tween the belligerents might be effected, and accordingly the Sultan, seeing that the other Powers have declined to interfere, has asked the British Government to approach the Emperor of Russia with the view of bringing about negotia- tions for peace. With this request her Majesty's Government have agreed to comply, and indeed they could hardly do otherwise when the first overtures in the matter were made by Mr. Layard to the Porte. It is not difficult to perceive that Britain and Rtusia being thus once more brought face to face in the field of diplomacy, the refusal of the latter to acoept what the former might regard as reasonable conditions of peace might be regarded as a earns belli, placing this country side by side with Turkey in the future of the confliot. The circumstanced of the time being so critical, there is certainly satisfaction in knowing that arrange- ments have been made for the early meeting of Parliament. All the arguments that were adduced in favour of an autumn session in 1876 are equally available now, and there is no adequate ground for supposing that Parliament has merely been summoned earlier than uraal to give its con- sent to a pre-arranged warlike policy. At all events Parliament, in using its rights and privi- leges to control the action of the Government, must take its cue from the will and wishes of the nation at large. The divided state of opinion, among the work- ing classes of the metropolis, with reference to the question of peace or war, was illustrated in a somewhat ludicrous as well as disgraceful manner by the two opposition meetings of Mitt — RnwisnB and auti Turks which were held in Trafalgar equare on the afternoon of Satnrday hat. If the roughs who Indulged in free fights over the flags representing the Turkish and Russian nationalities would only 10 and take service under the banners of the \wo Powers, they might then have a i opportunity, iot only of breaking heads, bat of killing each ther outright. The proper place for fighting on \tehatf of Russia or Turkey is Dot Trafalgar- jquare, but the wild passes of the Balkans. Scot- land-yard, getting an inkling of the intended Partisan demonstrations, had made prepara- Jons to put down any disturbances that might have shown a tendency to become wrious; but the constables in attendance hardly fought it worth while to prevent the scrimmages hat went on among a par&l of roughs, or to in- terfere on behalf of the rival flags and flagstaffs hat came to grief. The anti-Turk faction, who rent dead against war, did not deem it necessary o oonvey the resolution they passed to any high Government official; but the anti-Russians oar- ied theirs to the residence of the Turkish Ambas- ador in Bryanston-square, and the deputation 'ho presented it succeeded in eliciting a speech 'om Musurua Pasha, who was rewarded for his ivility by a serenade. If the Trafalgar- jnare meetings are to be regarded as straws, lowing how the wind blows, all they have taught lis that it is blowing in different directions, and ill likely continue to do so until Europe is again -peace. there are rampant Russophilei and also ram- 9at Turcophiles. One of the latter, named tr. J. Stuart Day, writing to the daily papers, tade the extraordinary suggestion that "as e Post Office Department had announced a iduction from 4d. to 2d. on and after January it) 1878, of the letter registration fee, each irtioular elector should make it his business present, by registered letter, on New Years- 3( t¡,y the oompliments of the season to the Im- bcu mal Turkish Ambassador, and let a duplicate of toh missive ba addressed, also by registered tter, to the Right Honourable the Earl of Ielby." It is to be hoped, for the comfort of the ukiah Ambassador and Lord Derby on New Mr a Day, that only the gentleman who made is ridiculous proposal acted up to his own sug- stign. D. G.

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.1

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THE SIOUXmDIANS. !

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A CHRISTMAS AND NEW "FEAR…

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TSlE WAR.

WAR ITEMS. •;

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