The Portland daily press., 1862-12-02
selections from Foreign Pan r..

We propose from time to time to give the
readers Of the Press selection of items that
we think will interest them, from foreign pa
pers. We commence with the following:
CHEAP TRAVELLING IN PERsIA-At night,
wherever we encam2ed, the chief Inhabitants
of the place sent us presents or tea, sugar,
fruit, honey, and sweetmeats. These gifts
were so numerous as to become a very expen-
sive mark of honor, for each gin was brought
to us by different servant and every serv-
ant expected present at least equal in value
to the gift he brought 1t would have been
considered highly offensive TO slight these de-
monstrations of good will. Everything sup
piled to a traveller is charged, therefore, not in
accordance with its value, but in accordance
with his supposed rank; and he Is expected
to give liberal presents to all the ragmuffln
crowd who collect wherever his tents are
pitched.
The Russian official journal, the Northern
Post, has just published the following monthly
statement respecting the progress Of the
emancipation OF the peasants:-"In forty-nve
governments, 1880 arrangements, respecting
lO,l5S,OO0 serfs, have been effected, and OF
these 1925 have already come into operation.
In about half of these cases, concerning 2,43S,
900 souls, the documents have not been signed
by the peasants; 25 ,236 acts of emancipation
respecting 1,03s,000 peasants, stipuate for a
yearly payment to the landholder; 1921,
concerning 1,7S5 600 souls, stipulate for work
to be rendered instead; and in 4341 cases a
complete emancipation has been arranged for,
by which $4,000 peasants are entirely free
In 024 cases the government will cooperate
in the emancipatory arrangements; in 1853 cas-
es, at the desire of the andholder alone which
can only be effected when they are contented
with the iour-fiiths of the emancipation price
paid by the State, and renounce the other f;ifh
which should be paid by the peasants. The
government has effected the redemption of
1O6,i9I peasants, which required a sum of H.
457 900 roubles, of which, however, scarcely
the half was paid in State paper, and the 9TH
er portion was retained as a debt due by the
landholder to the State. The law on the sub
jeet enaets that the emancipation must be eff
fected by the State whenever noble possess
es no more that twenty serts. Already this
has been effected in 26,2I0 cases."
THE CANAL OF SUEZ.-"It is no longer pos
sible," says the Moniteur, "to dispute the prac-
ticabiity of this canal now that the part be-
tween Port-Said and Timseh has been execut-
ed. That part is the only one that has never
before been constructed; it is the only one,
therefore, about which there could have been
doubt, and regarding which difficulties and
unfayorable anticipations might have been
suggested. As we have often remarked be-
digged and In actual use in former times, at
four different periods. We may therefore,
without any hesitation, assert that the prob
lem has been substantially and satisfactorily
solved, rs maratime communication is now
open as far as Timseh. Beyond this point
there is nothing to be done which the ancients
have not already achieved, with resources
greatly inferior to those of modern science"
INTRODUCTION OF COOLIES INTO THE
WEST INDIEs.-The following despatch has
been published in the Demerara papers,
"Downing-street, Aug. 18th, 1862. Sir,-Her
Majesty's government has decided that the
time has now arrived for allowing the intro
duction of coolies from India or China into the
West Indies under indenture for five years, in
stead of under the present complicated system
of industrial residence. They have sanctioned
this important change, because experience
has satisfied them that, with proper govern
ment superintendent, the welfare of the cool
lie can be sufficiently secured without the safe
guard of the artificial form of contract hither-
to enforced
THE CASTLE OF HEIDELBURG.-Galig
says: Considerable agitatation has been caus-
ed at Heidelburg (Palatinate of the Rhine)
in consequence of the effects which have
been caused to the castle by the construction
of the tunnel cut under it for the new railway
of the Neckar In consequence of the contin
ual shaking of the foundations Of the building
from the passing of the trains, the castle is
threatened with destruction. The front facing
the town. has already cracked In several
places, and il has been found necessary to use
strong iron camps to prevent the enlargement
of the assures. Should the castle, or even a
part of it be thrown down from this cause, the
loss would be irreparable, as it is one of the
most curious monuments of the Renaissance"
cism upon the Oxford Democrats economical
teachings-though we think there is great
deal of force in the Democrats article, even
after abating few of its fine-drawn sugges-
tions.