Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-08-15
EXTREMES AND CHANGES IN
EUROPE.

might have expected the extension Of
American ideas in Europe to have crea-
ted, we see superfuous and astonishing
expenses and a restoration of the most
a~ntiouated customs. But a few days
ago the Emperor of Austria, stripped by
war of a portion Of his kingdom and
much of his power, and with a treasury
hopelessly insolyent, was crowned King
of Hungary with a reckless extrava-
gauce and restoration Of ancient tradi-
tons, such as almost battles description.
Though his expenses are terribly above
his income, gold and silver pieces Of
money were scattered in wild profusion,
and q mound, made OF artificial earth
from each Of the Provinces, was sur
mounted by the Emperor, who with
flashing sword, aourished to the four
cardinal points of the compass, swore
to defend the whole. Costly banquets
and public. rejoiciugs all went along sc-
cording to precedent, and at a'greater
expense than before, although even then
the telegraph was flashing the news that
his brother Macmillan was q prisoner
in a Mexican dungeon, and about to be
slain by Mexican bullets.
In Paris never was there such an as
sembly of crowned heads while crowns
were so insecure. Baron Hauseman,
Project of the Seine, gave a ball that
cost more than Slso,ooo in gold- to
welcome the royal visitors in that city,
where one monarch has been beheaded,
and three have been compelled to abdi-
cate, since two died in peace. Nine
hundred thousand francs for a single
ball ! Eight thousand guests were in
yited, wagon loads Of shrubs and fow-
ers had been rolling in for weeks to
decorate the ballroom ; fountains and
cooling streams flowed everywhere the
town hall was filled aud covered with
rarest plants, and q gallery actually
turned into a grove, long, cool and ST.
lent, dimly lighted with colored lamps
and Chinese lanterns, out of which the
visitors issued into the ballroom, all
ablaze with diamonds, crosses, lace aud
epaulettes, and lighted up with 10000
wax candles. No king or nobleman,
much less mayor of any other city,
would have carried out such a costly
entertainment.
And in England the Derby races have
Just witnessed an extravaganza still
more ruinous to one of the English no.
bility, if not TO several Of them, in
which revenge, rivalry and gross fraud
all seem to have had their share. Five
hundred thousand dollars in gold was
the sum hat the Marquis Of Hastings
lost by q betting swiudle to fulfill the
row of a rival he had crossed in love.
And the Prince Of Wales is now reckoned
on the turf a betting man.
No doubt, as Mr.. Buckle has shown
in his History Of Civilization, wealth
civilizes downward. But there is also
another current in the great social tide
and circle, less observed but no less
real. yirtuous poverty civilizes up
ward. For the poor are a harder and
stronger as well as more numerous por-
ton Of every society than the rich, and
the reforms which they undertake to
make carry with them a force which the
more effeminate s~peculations Of the easy
do not often attain. Put a truth into
the hand or head or heart Of q poor
man, and he works with it as the rich
do not. Aud the fewer truths he has
the more earnestly he has to use them.
The poor are necessarily more industri-
Gus than the rich. They acquire habits
of working harder with the means they
possess, and hence they exert more
power individually with the means at
their command. And thus il happens that
men, scholars, communities, churches,
denominations ono poor, become nu-
merous and rich, and those that were
rich often become few, scattered and
poor. But while the higher and wealthy
classes are thus ~squaudering wealth
they are also ~squanderiug power, and
losing it to the gain of the people.
The London Times, not content with
absolutely ignoring the House of Lords
as a power at all in the way of the Re-
form bill, calls for a reformation Of that
body which shall abolish their ancient
privilege of voting by proxy, calls it the
most useless body in Europe, and de-
mands that it shall not forsake its du-
ties, and allow the mostimportant meas
ures to be carried or rejected by three
or four Of the Peers. Its attacks are
the most pregnant symptoms ola COM
ing change in the constitution of that
ancient body. Tho great majority of
the Peers, it is declared, take 40 part
in the duties Of legislation, scarcely
ever enter the House of Lords, and al
most always adjourn with the dinner
bell. In fact the Sovereign in England
has long been a cipher; the House Of
Lords is about the same. The Consti-
tuition Of the House of Commons is be-
ing radically altered to prevent violent
revolution. The Trades Unions and
Reform League, have really more pow
er in determining the future Constitu-
ton Of Great Britain than the House Of
Commons, Of Lords, or the Crown. A
revolution is going on greater than that
of 1888. 1t may be as peaceful-it will
probably be more powerful and COM
plets.
The New Jersey educational autbori-
ties, It is reported, have abolished cor